Nothing Left
by Philosopher Fictionist
Summary: Okay, back with a new story. COR, kinda fluffy, but I'm not sure it will continue to be that way. Kinda has to be. R for adult situations, language, and probably some graphic violence later on. R&R - I need it to survive.
1. Prologue

Prologue

_Everyone who gets close to me dies. It started with Carolyn Fry. Hot little number, she was. Came running back and thought she talked me into going back for the others with her. Said she'd die for them. Only reason I went back was because I was intrigued. Wasn't kidding when I said "How interesting." Only reason. Had to go and make me a fuckin' softie, that hot little thing. Fuck. _

_ Imam tapped into my forgotten sense of duty, mother fucker. I told him it wasn't my fight, but he just had to go and talk me into it. I tell you what, I'm getting to be a pussy in my old age. Couldn't save him either. Not as good as I thought I was._

_ And then there's Jack. The only person I ever really cared about. Something about her. I don't know. Fuck me. I must really be getting soft. Saved her twice back on that hell hole. Once from Johns and once from one of those alien things. Mean fuckers, those were. But I've met worse. Shit. Twice. _

_ I never wanted to get caught up in this whole Necro thing. It wasn't my fight, and I knew I wasn't big enough to handle it. I just wanted to go find Jack and take off. Crematoria was the third time I saved her. Psh. Her knight in tarnished armor. Little did I know Jack really did grow up. Where the fuck did she come up with the name Kyra anyway? Man, she made Fry look like a fuckin nun. Still had that spunk too. I guess she's probably the only person I could have really loved, but it just didn't happen that way. Strong survival instincts, I gotta give her that. Took brass balls to hop onto that Necro ship and risk everything just so she wouldn't die like she thought I had. No faith. That made the fourth time. And she went and got herself killed. And I have nothing left. _

_ Most people in my position would just shake it off. Hell, I've got a whole armada at my fingertips and I still don't have anything. Nothing I want, anyway. I'm not a leader. Fuck that. I'm a loner, drifter. A kingdom wrapped up in my mind. Nothing but me. Should have been nothing but me and Kyra, but, as always, the person who got close to me ended up dead. Got nothing left, and it's gonna stay that way. _


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Riddick lay in the Lord Marshall's quarters, in the middle of that gargantuan bed, just starn; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> 

Chapter 1

Riddick lay in the Lord Marshall's quarters, in the middle of that gargantuan bed, just staring at the ceiling. _Man, where did this get so completely fucked up? _He'd allowed himself to be led to his quarters, if for no other reason than to get that damn Elemental off his ass. She kept going on and on about destiny and fate, but all he could think about was Kyra, probably still lying there in the throne room. He shook his head, rubbing his eyes as he heaved a loud sigh. For some reason, he felt guilty about not getting the chance to even kiss her. Not even once. It wasn't until he'd gotten to Crematoria that he'd even thought about the possibility she'd grow up into a woman. A small smirk lit his face, but it fell quickly. Any image of her while she was still alive was immediately replaced with the one of her lying there on the floor. That image was permanently burned into his brain. Couldn't get rid of it. He groaned and rolled over onto his side. _Gotta do something for her, _he thought, opening his eyes to stare at a picture on the wall without really seeing it. _Burial or something. _He stood, stretching his arms over his head, and exited what had become his quarters. _What kind of fucked up mentality is 'you keep what you kill' anyway?_ he thought with a mental snicker. _It's a wonder this little armada didn't self-destruct with assassination attempts and coups and shit. _He shook his head, making his way back to the throne room. He paused at the top of the steps, suddenly realizing the room had been cleaned up.

"Lord Marshall?" He turned toward the timid voice. A small man was cowering halfway behind a large pillar with wide eyes. Riddick fought not to laugh. "Is there something you need, my Lord?"

"What happened to the body?"

"Which, sir?"

"The girl," Riddick growled. _This useless shit actually thinks I care what happened to the freak I replaced? _

"She was taken to the med-bay, my Lord. For preparations," the Necro stammered.

"Preparations…"

"Burial, my Lord."

"Stop calling me that or I'll slit your throat with your own fucking fingernails, got it?" Riddick growled. The man nodded vigorously. "And stop hiding from me." The man nodded again, stepping out of the protection of the pillar to approach Riddick slowly. "I want all preparations to go through me, you understand?" Vigorous nod. "Nothing happens without my approval, and if anyone fucks up they die. Got it?" Another nod. "What's your name?"

"Guettler, my… sir." Riddick nodded, partly at finding out this little shit's name and partly at the correction he made. "What shall we call you?" Riddick's eyebrow rose. "Since you don't want to be addressed as 'My Lord,' sir, how shall we address you?"

"You won't." The man was shocked at how quickly Riddick disappeared, and after a lingering glance, turned to spread the word about how their new Commander in Chief wanted the preparation process to be run. He scurried off to the med-bay.

Riddick wandered the hallways, half to get a mental map started in case he needed a quick way out, and half to distract himself from the sudden impulse to grieve Kyra's death. It was a new urge, and he didn't like it; didn't quite know how to deal with it. He paused, sensing someone behind him.

"Now is not a good time to fuck with me," he warned, a menacing growl echoing off the walls.

"Lord Vaako, sir." Riddick turned, and sure enough, Vaako was leaning against the wall, a smarmy smirk plastered on his face. Riddick's eyes narrowed. "I hear you've already started terrorizing the breeders?" Riddick arched an eyebrow, and Vaako's smirk morphed into a genuine smile as he shrugged and pushed away from the wall. "Good move, I think. Establish your control."

"I don't give a shit about-"

"Let me help you," Vaako interjected, folding his hands behind his back. "I know you must be grieving your loss, but-"

"I don't grieve," Riddick snapped. Vakko's eyebrow rose, but he didn't counter.

"I understand there's some confusion as to how you should be addressed?" Vaako ventured, taking a step forward and pausing as Riddick tensed. "Should we just call you Riddick or do you think you can put up with our more formal ways?"

"I really don't give a shit." Vaako sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You know, I'm going to give you a piece of advice." Riddick took a breath to protest, but Vaako continued: "You've won the position you're in right now. You may not have meant to, but you have. You keep what you kill."

"That's a shitty philosophy on life," Riddick snickered. Vaako shrugged.

"That's the way we live," he explained. "You've got two choices here. Either you take on the responsibility and at least feign leadership, having your Commanders and Lords lead behind the scenes; or you run away with your tail between your legs and relinquish your position, which, I must admit, would cause quite a mutiny. It's your choice."

"How about I give you control and leave without looking back?" Riddick offered, but Vaako shook his head.

"It doesn't work that way. I'd be no more Lord Marshall than you want to be without killing you." Riddick's eyebrow rose, a hand snaking behind his back to clutch the blade he'd stashed there. "No worries," Vaako smiled. "I know my place, and I know I'm not man enough to pull it off." Riddick didn't back down, but nodded once. "My recommendation is to take over, Riddick. Let us do the leading while you live the façade."

"Why?"

"Because you have the presence," Vaako said simply. "The lower ranks and the simpletons won't fight it because they fear you, and with good reason," he added with a smirk. "The upper ranks, including myself, won't fight it because, given you stick to the charade, we actually lead the armada."

"But I get the credit, assuming I accept," Riddick pointed out.

"The credit doesn't drive us," Vaako said slowly. "The upper ranks live for duty and honor. Even if our Lord Marshall is a mere title, we have the responsibility of making sure our people are cared for."

"One rule," Riddick stated. Vaako nodded for him to continue. "Give up this shit about the Underverse." Vaako's eyebrow rose. "I mean, even if it exists, the previous _Lord Marshall_ was the only one who knew where it was, right?" The defeated expression Vaako wore was the answer Riddick wanted. "And he's dead. So even if there is an Underverse there's no way you're gonna find it. Just fucking give it up already." Vaako nodded. "Fine, then. We'll see how long it lasts." Riddick turned to leave, but heard Vaako take a breath, so he paused without turning back to the Commander.

"What of your woman?" Vaako asked tentatively.

"Preparations go through me. I want her buried here on New Mecca," Riddick ground out through gritted teeth. Vaako nodded, but Riddick was already gone.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_What the hell am I thinking? Taking on a worthless position? Acting like a fucking leader when I know and everyone else knows I'm not? Shit. _Riddick shook his head, staring down into the now empty throne room from the top level. He saw Dame Vaako sneaking around the other side of the balcony, every now and then pausing in a shadow to hold binoculars up to her eyes. Riddick snickered to himself. _Evidently they don't know about a shine._ _Should probably kill her. She's probably the reason Vaako got himself into his own little mess anyway. _He pushed the thought away. Kyra wouldn't have wanted him to do that. His eyebrow rose at that consideration. _Since when did you listen to anyone's voice of reason, let alone your own?_ He sighed, leaning forward against the stone railing. Dame Vaako was still lurking somewhere but he wasn't worried about it, though she was probably already plotting _his_ demise to benefit her husband.

Lord Vaako was what he couldn't figure out though. _If he wants a position of power why not just fucking take it? I offered. Hell, I'd even fake a death at his hands if it would work. This behind the scenes shit is gonna get on my fucking nerves eventually. _He sighed heavily, leaving the balcony to continue his exploration. _Deal with it when it gets here._

He headed down a hallway he'd not been down before, just because it was darker than the others. Hell, it was nearly unlit. His lips parted in a wide grin, but it ended in a heavy sigh. He leaned against the wall between two large statues and slid to the ground, suddenly feeling exhausted. His mental photo album of Kyra – and Jack – went into over drive as he stared off into space. A sudden flash of heat impression snapped him back to reality, and he jumped. He would have stood, but he'd been sitting there long enough for everything below his ass to go numb. A light touch on his cheek made him start again, and a woman's face came into focus.

"Who the fuck are you?" She shushed him, shaking her head as she placed her thumb lightly over his lips.

"You can't be seen like this," she whispered. "Come." He was about to tell her to go fuck herself, but her hand closed around his elbow and pulled, so he got to his feet and followed her through the shadows to a door. Evidently she'd snuck around before, from the way she dodged any lighting. She glanced past him and then up at him before leading him through a heavy wooden door, locking it behind them.

He stood in the middle of the room, if that's what it was, just looking around. More like a cell. All it contained was a small cot and a sink, but there was another door on the back wall, so there was no telling what this was.

"Come," she repeated, gently touching his shoulder before moving to the door at the opposite wall. His eyebrow rose, and he stood his ground. She paused, knowing he wasn't obeying her order, and turned slowly, eyes shining angrily. "Come," she said more firmly this time, but he only crossed his arms over his chest. "God damn it, get your filthy ass in this fucking bathroom," she finally exploded. Both of his eyebrows now shot up, and he chuckled slightly. _Well, if you want to be like that…_ He complied, albeit slowly, following her into a small bathroom.

"So what's this corridor for anyway? Seems a little shady compared to the rest of this place," he commented, sitting on the side of the tub.

"You need to wash up," she said quietly, dodging his question. _Interesting. Either can't talk about it or doesn't want to._ "Come on." She motioned for him to stand, so he did, watching her approach him without the slightest hesitation. She grasped his wrists to raise his arms, then ripped his shirt over his head.

"What are you doing?" Riddick asked slowly. She didn't answer, only worked his belt loose and then started on his pants. "What the fuck are you doing?" Riddick asked more forcefully this time, backing away. She jumped at the sudden outburst, but didn't cower like he'd expected her to.

"You need to wash up," she repeated quietly.

"For what?" His voice betrayed his distrust, but he didn't care.

"They can't see you like this."

"Like what?" Her eyes met his. Once again, she didn't cower. She wasn't afraid of those eyes. She closed the distance she'd created between them when he yelled at her, reaching for his hand, but he jerked it away. She sighed, sticking her hand out and staring up at him until she felt him give it up. He let her lift his hand to his face, and pulled away from her when he felt the wetness. _I have **not** been crying._

"You can't let them see you like this," she said gently. "Come on." She reached for his waistband again, but he backed away from her.

"What the hell makes you think I trust you down there?" He thought he saw a flash of a smirk run quickly over her features, but couldn't be sure.

"You can't be afraid of me," she said mockingly, making a show of looking him up and down. He snorted, and she nodded. "See? Now come on. You're wasting time."

"What's the hurry? I have a shower at my place," he huffed. She openly laughed this time.

"And they'll see you walking to it. Now stop being an ass and let me help you."

"I can bathe myself you know," he pressed. She rolled her eyes, her hands settling on her hips as she sighed. "Who the fuck are you, anyway?" Her eyes darted up to his quickly, and then fell away, focusing on the stone flooring instead.

"My name is Sevic," she said quietly, pronouncing her name 'Sevitch'. "And you're the Riddick."

"Not _the _Riddick," he corrected. "Riddick is my name."

"What kind of a name is Riddick?" she asked, her voice serious.

"What the hell kind of a name is Sevic?" he retorted. Her eyes met his again, and she didn't fight the small smile.

"Touché." She glanced at the large bathtub and back up at him. "Well?"

"I can do this myself," he insisted. She blinked a few times, as though he'd struck her, but covered it quickly and shrugged.

"Have at it then." He watched her reach into a cabinet and pull out fluffy towels, draping them over the side of the bathtub. "There are some clothes in the other cabinet that might fit you," she said, glancing over him again quickly. "You seem to like black, so you should be fine." His eyebrow rose. Her voice still had a touch of injure in it, but he didn't ask. She turned without another word and closed the door behind her.

She heard the door open and turned her head. He stood in the doorway, dressed in what she'd predicted – a black tee shirt and black sweat pants. She gave him a slight nod and returned to staring at the ceiling, feeling him looking her over. Her clothes were similar – black pants, though a bit tighter, and a black long sleeve shirt, also tighter than his.

"Am I more presentable now?" she heard him ask, his voice slightly disdainful. She nodded once, but didn't turn back to him. "Who are you, really?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, still not looking at him. _Just fucking get on with it, _she thought. _Shush. Maybe he just wanted a shower. _

"I know your name, but nothing else." She couldn't hide her surprise at that statement.

"You're not supposed to," she said slowly. His eyebrow rose, and she felt the fear rise again, but as before, hid it completely. He wasn't the first man in her chambers to scare her shitless.

"You know about me." She bit back a snicker.

"I'm supposed to," she said lightly, meeting his eyes again. "It's my job."

"And what job would that be?" he pressed, taking a few steps toward her. _Good god, he's massive._ Her eyes closed. _Said too much, Sevic. Dumbass. _

"You should go. They're probably expecting you."

"Nice try," he said, walking closer to her.

"They monitor your quarters," she said more quickly. "If you don't return soon they'll go looking for you, and that's trouble I don't really feel like dealing with."

"I'm not leaving until you spill it," he threatened. She sighed, sitting up.

"The Lord Marshall isn't supposed to come here. He requests us and we're escorted to his quarters. If they find you here you'll be publicly reprimanded and that won't look good. Even the Lord Marshall has rules to follow."

"I'm not the Lord Marshall." She looked up at him, eyebrow poised.

"Really."

"Yes, really, so fucking start talking or I _will_ kill you."

"You have no reason to." Her voice held a challenge, and she instantly regretted it. His hands clenched at his sides, the muscles in his jaw rippling as his nostrils flared. _He's holding back,_ she thought, appalled. _Why is he holding back. _"But if you really feel like you don't need a reason to, please get on with it."

"Why is this hallway so dark?"

"Anonymity," she answered. "Condoned but not accepted. Scorned but not scolded." Riddick's eyebrows furled. "What do you want from me?" she asked, surprised at the strength in her voice. She'd already divulged much more than she should have.

"Answers."

"Not today, Riddick. You have to get back." His eyebrow rose, but he nodded, and she glanced at the door. The knots in her stomach didn't untwist after the door closed behind him, and she flopped back over onto her bed, her lungs deflating in a huge sigh. _Great going, Sevic. Now he's going to summon you and you'll have to go. Shit. What the fuck have I gotten myself into?_

She'd been isolated for so long she'd lost any memory of what came before, partly out of survival. If she didn't think on the past, the present wasn't so painful. Many of the others in this hallway had their own rules – some even enjoyed their place in society, but not Sevic. She'd not requested this life and refused to learn to like it. She only hoped this Riddick wouldn't be as bad as the others.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She wasn't surprised to hear a powerful pounding on her door later that night, but she hoped it wasn't for the reason she suspected. No such luck. The door opened to reveal a pair of servants, and from their robes, they served the Lord Marshall directly. She sighed, nodding once. As she left her room, her hands closed on a ring of keys hung on a nail next to the door, and she locked up behind her, following behind the servants with her head bowed under the cloak they'd draped over her.

It was all part of the ritual. The cloak was meant to protect them. If they ever ventured into the main areas of the ship – they were allowed to, but it wasn't intelligent – they would be less likely to be recognized, save those who had requested their presence. She groaned inwardly, dropping her head even more as other feet approached and passed. The walk seemed like it would never end, and she wasn't sure she was glad when it did. The doors opened and a hand guided her into the darkened room by the back of her neck. She didn't jump at the slam of the heavy doors behind her, only shrunk further into her cloak. A deep breath calmed her nerves, though only slightly.

"As requested, your Lordship," she said quietly. That line tore a hole in her every time she was forced to say it. The room was silent, but she didn't dare move. She gasped as the cloak was ripped from her, scrunching her eyes shut.

"You're not afraid of me, are you?" his gravelly voice lilted. He seemed pleased at her apparent fear, and she lifted her eyes to him angrily. "'As requested, your Lordship'?" Her eyes fell from his. "What's that all about?" She didn't answer. He started walking circles around her – nothing new to her but still nerve wracking. "So this is the dirty little secret, huh?" Her eyes closed, her head dropping again. "No wonder the halls were so dark, why they're so concerned about anonymity." Her brows furled, but she still said nothing. "And this is why you seemed so hurt when I wouldn't let you undress me, right? You thought I was rejecting you?" She willed her lip not to quiver. _God, these bastards really ended up getting to me._ "So is Sevic your real name or are you even gonna tell me that much?" Her eyes opened suddenly, but she didn't lift her head, instead just stared at his shoes now stopped in front of her. _Well, at least he stopped circling me like a fucking hawk._ "Do I have this pegged right? Are you just a call girl?" He almost said whore but thought better of it. Her head rose slowly, though not proudly, and she just looked up at him. He'd not noticed how pretty she was before. He was too busy kicking his ass for having been crying, much less caught doing so. She wasn't necessarily drop dead gorgeous, but she wasn't plain, either. Definitely not ugly.

"If it's not what you want, why am I here?" she asked, thankful her voice didn't crack. He clicked his tongue, making her feel even smaller, and her eyes narrowed. His head was cocked to the side, as well, making him seem even more mocking. She tensed as he leaned forward, the muscles in her arms twitching under the fabric of her shirt as his hands closed around them. She felt his breath on her cheek.

"You know too much to be just a call girl," he whispered in her ear. Her eyes closed. _Just fucking kill me already,_ she thought. "Why is that, hmm?" She started to pull away, but his hands tightened on her arms. "Eyes and ears. Play along." She nodded.

"Survival," she whispered back. "And it's only eyes. No ears."

"Are you sure?"

"No," she said honestly. "But it's a pretty good guess."

"Any place where it's totally secure?"

"Doubtful," she answered, fighting the trembles off. "They're pretty paranoid."

"The mentality will do that," he commented. She nodded, knowing he was referring to the 'keep what you kill' creed. "What about your hallway?"

"You can't go there," she said quickly.

"Correction. I can't be seen there."

"They'll know," she insisted. She pulled away from him, reaching for the pin holding her hair away from her face. It tumbled down her back in waves, spilling over her shoulders. "And they'll know something's up if you don't do this."

"They're watching." He didn't sound like he believed her.

"They always watch," she said bitterly. _God, I don't want to do this. Just pretend it's Jason and everything will be okay. But it's not Jason. It'll never be Jason. _She closed her eyes and willed her fingers to close around the hem of her shirt and pull upwards, but his hands over hers stopped their movement. Her eyes opened again, staring up at him questioningly.

"If I had known…" he trailed off, a flash of rare emotion in his eyes making him seem almost apologetic. She forced a small smile but couldn't keep the timidity out of it.

"You should have," she said quietly. His hands didn't move away from hers, and she averted his eyes. "Your other option is to throw me out," she offered quietly. Her slight cringe wasn't hidden well enough.

"And what would happen if I did that?" he asked quietly, his thumb stroking the back of her hand slowly.

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Tell me."

"They'll beat me and lock me in my rooms for a few days." He sighed. "Like I said, nothing I can't handle. It's happened before."

"How long ago?" _Why the fuck does he care how long ago? He should have been told the rules when he called up the menu, _she thought.

"Not long. But I lived." He nodded. "Don't worry about me. Just hurry up and tell them."

"It's been a long time since I had a woman," he said slowly.

"Then indulge. I don't care either way, just decide." She felt him looking at her, but couldn't bring herself to return the gaze, so she let her eyes close as he mulled it over. His hands moved away from hers, but he didn't walk to the door. She stole a quick glance at him watching her, and then looked away as she lifted her shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. He reached out, and her eyes closed as his palm slid over her cheek, her brows quivering slightly. His other arm went around her waist, his fingers running lightly over her soft skin as he pulled her against his chest, just holding her. She didn't return the embrace, even as he dipped his head to plant soft kisses along the side of her neck, his teeth nipping gently at her shoulder.

"I won't hurt you," he whispered.

"Yes you will," she returned, oddly satisfied as he paused. He pulled away from her, blinking, but she managed a small smile. He nodded slightly, and bent down, pressing his lips lightly to hers. She battled with herself over whether or not to respond to his kiss, ultimately deciding she probably should if not just to avoid pissing him off. His other arm snaked around her back and he lifted her off her feet, pressed against his chest as he continued to kiss her slowly, walking both of them toward the massive bed he'd inherited. He lowered her onto the silk comforter gently, his hands grasping her hips to push her further onto the bed before sliding her pants down her legs. She was now completely naked below him, and feeling more vulnerable than she ever had. The others who had summoned her had forced her to undress herself, but this Riddick had done half of it for her. She kept her eyes closed, even as she heard him remove his clothing, and felt the bed give as he returned to it, pulling her across the bed against him. She'd expected him to go for it, but instead, he continued his slow exploration of her body, his hands skimming lightly over her as his lips followed. He hovered over her now, and she could feel his eyes on her, willing her to look back at him, but she couldn't. His hands came to rest once again on her hips, thumbs trailing back and forth lazily, and the tears threatened to break as he planted a soft kiss on the long scar stretching across her belly.

"What's this?" he asked quietly.

"Sterilization," she whispered back, her voice almost mirroring the pain she felt just saying it. Another kiss on a smaller scar.

"And this?" She shook her head, and he let it go, kissing the mark again before returning to her lips, a large hand cradling the back of her head as he kissed her. She felt his other hand leave her hip and tensed, knowing what was coming next. He broke his hold on her lips and settled his cheek against hers, shushing into her ear. "Relax," he purred. "I said I won't hurt you." She didn't comply, and he didn't continue.

"I've heard that before," she said quietly, scrunching her eyes closed tightly. She felt his lips moving on the side of her neck.

"Relax," he repeated. "I don't want to hurt you and I will if you don't relax." His words were broken by his kisses along her collarbone. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the tension leaving with it, and he continued, pausing when she tensed, continuing when she relaxed. She was genuinely surprised at how gentle he was with her, but she prayed his stamina was shot to hell. He'd said it'd been a long time, right? If the situation had been different she would have been impressed at his efforts to keep from hurting her. It wasn't the physical pain – this time there was none. She hadn't asked for this life, and refused to give in to it, and that's what hurt the most. He stiffened against her, a gravelly groan vibrating through his chest as his release washed over him, his fingers digging into her gently. His cheek settled against her shoulder, and he let his fingers trail over her arm as his breathing returned to normal. "I'm sorry," he whispered. She nodded. "But I couldn't let them hit you." Another small nod. _You can cry once you get back to your room, just keep it together. _"Will they let you stay here?" She cracked her eyes open, but he wasn't looking up at her.

"It wouldn't go unquestioned, but probably so." Her voice was smaller than she would have liked, but there wasn't anything she could do about that now.

"And you want to avoid attention." It wasn't a question, so she didn't respond. He nodded against her, and she felt his eyelashes flutter over her skin as his eyes closed. The cold air brought goosebumps up on her skin as he moved away from her, pulling a robe over him and tying it shut. He glanced at her quickly, but looked away as she sat up. She watched him stoop to pick up her shirt and pants and hand them to her silently, and her shaky hands took them from him, pulling them on quickly, not a word exchanged. He walked to the door and she followed, but he just stood there with a hand on the doorknob. She didn't look up, even as his lips pressed to her forehead and his fingers ran through her hair. She pulled her cloak around her shoulders and lifted the hood over her head, bowing her face down slightly to hide behind the dark material, and he opened the door. The servants hovering outside reached out to her, partly to restrain her and partly to guide her back to her hallway, but his voice stopped them. "No one else touches her."

"Pardon?" one of them asked.

"I don't care who requests her, no one else touches her, understand?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw both servants nod through quizzical expressions. The guided her away, and she didn't hear his door close until they'd rounded a corner.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_He said he wasn't going to hurt you,_ she scolded herself as a sob echoed off her stone walls. _God, I'm glad it's dark in here. He didn't hurt you. That's what hurts so much. It's easier when they just rush through it and get it over with, no matter how much it rips me apart, but that…_ She sighed and sniffled._ That makes it worse. That he didn't want to hurt me and was just so god damn gentle. Makes me miss Jason even more. _She curled into a tighter ball and let the sobs wash over her. It wasn't the first time. She'd get it out of her system, take a shower, fall asleep, and be okay tomorrow. Not fine, but okay. _Jason's gone, Sevic. Just face it. He's not coming back. He can't. You have to do what you can to survive. But for what? I don't have anything left. I don't have Jason. Hell, I don't even have me anymore. This isn't me. Subservient, compliant, passive. He'd be disappointed. But I have to be this way to survive, and he wouldn't fault me for that. _She covered her face with a violently trembling hand and let out another snort of a sob, cringing as the sound bounced back. The others would hear her, and that quieted her down a little. _But why should I try so hard to survive? There's nothing left to survive for. What's survival just for the sake of surviving? There has to be some payoff, and this is no payoff. Christ. What happened to me? _

_ You said it wasn't going to happen again. _Riddick couldn't still the voices arguing in his head.

_It didn't. I didn't do anything to let her in. I just saved her a beating. _

_You gave her hope that someone can get her out of the mess she got herself into. _

_I didn't give her hope. Hell, she probably didn't even get herself into the mess – it was probably just given to her. _He sighed and scratched his belly, still pacing his room, just listening to his thoughts. _What's one more try at humanity, huh? _

_Another life lost because you let them get too close. _

_It won't happen that way. _

_It always happens that way. You should have just quit while you were ahead._

_ When **was** I ahead? _

_ When Kyra died._

_ How is that ahead? Losing the only person that saw me as another human and gave me something to live for._

_ She died, Riddick. Just like everyone you let in. Just like Carolyn and Imam. You need to just stop letting people in and live your life._

_ Does luck ever change?_

_ Not likely._

_ Well, no one deserves to be treated that way. I don't have to let her in, I just have to protect her._

_ Like you protected Jack?_

_ Shut the fuck up. _Riddick sighed and plopped into a chair, taking a long swig of the drink he'd just poured himself. The brown liquid burned its way down his throat, quieting the voices for now. He'd do what he could without risking her life. He'd protect her without taking her in. It could be done, right?

The look on Vaako's face was priceless when Riddick walked into the meeting hall. A mixture of shock and satisfaction. Riddick just continued past the doors and took a seat at the head of the long table placed in the middle of the room, gesturing for everyone else to sit down.

"I've been offered a deal, of sorts," he started, working to make his voice as deliberate and dangerous as possible. He nodded to Vaako. "Commander Vaako has offered the services of this committee to lead the armada in exchange for my assuming the role of Lord Marshall." The other Lords and Commanders nodded thoughtfully. "I'd like to alter the deal a bit, if the committee will agree." Vaako coughed suddenly, glancing at the others.

"Shall we hear the alteration before we agree to it?" one asked. Riddick tried not to grin. _Smart man. Mental note. _

"I would like to serve as a member of the committee," he stated. A lull started through the crowd of leaders, but Vaako hushed them. "Not as the final vote, but as an equal vote among the rest of yours. I've invested in this group as many of you have," he said, biting back a cringe as that picture of Kyra flashed through his mind. Vaako's eyes lowered – he knew the reference. "I'd like a say in return for my…" he trailed off and paused, a small smirk playing on the corners of his lips, "appearance as the Lord Marshall, with as scary as I seem." Someone smarted off, and received a growl. "The perception isn't entirely misplaced, asshole. Better watch it." The commander nodded and shut up. "If the alteration is acceptable?" No one outright answered. Riddick stood, and the others started. He chuckled inwardly. "Do I have to ask for a secret ballot, or can we all agree I've earned a place in the decision making process?" Vaako finally stepped up and became the first to agree to the terms, followed quickly by the others. Only a few dissented, but it didn't matter much for now.

"I'd like to ask the, um, Lord Marshall for a first order of business during this session, if I may," Vaako said quickly, glancing up at Riddick slightly as he addressed him as Lord Marshall. All he got was a twitch of the eyebrow, and Riddick watched as Vaako relaxed a bit after that.

"Actually, I do." Vaako's eyebrow rose. "The call girls. Darkened hallway." Commanders glanced at each other as though they didn't know what he was talking about. "Oh come on," Riddick drawled. "You all know about it, I'm sure. If I can find out my first day on the job what it's all about you have to know." Vaako cleared his throat, and Riddick glanced at him. "I have a suggestion that may improve their attitudes toward their roles." Vaako nodded for him to continue.

"You can't possibly want to let them run around like the rest of us," a Lord scoffed. Riddick scowled, satisfied with the man's reaction. For a collection of the top warriors in the Necro world, these guys were easily scared. Granted, this was Riddick, but had they never heard of a poker face? "They shouldn't be beaten when someone that requested them sends them away without using their services," Riddick said flatly, eyes daring each Commander and Lord individually to dispute him. "Don't request them if you don't want them, and don't punish them for a bad request," he continued.

"The Lord Marshall's request seems reasonable," a Commander to his left said confidently, adding a small nod at Riddick.

"He's got a vested interest," one in the back said quickly.

"Explain yourself," Vaako requested, voice low.

"The one he requested has a tendency to turn cold. Their services lack when they do that," the man explained. Riddick got his temper in check.

"You would too if you were forced into whoring yourself out," Riddick spat, watching the man close his mouth and gulp down a swallow. "Look, all I'm asking for is that they be treated like servants and not property. They might just warm up to the idea if you don't threaten to throw them a beating for every mistake. Truth is, they're not going to enjoy it because they're forced into it so why not make their lives a little easier?"

"Next he'll be asking that they be turned into the general population," another commented. "That it'll make them happier to be free to choose."

"I just might do that," Riddick retorted.

"They're put in those roles for a reason, Lord Marshall," he continued.

"And what reason would that be?" Riddick pressed.

"They're unruly, most of them previously married to a non-convert, and hence less likely to ever choose to commit themselves to one in our population."

"So?" The man seemed surprised at Riddick's question. "Look, for now just promise me they won't be beaten for anything, or starved, or anything you wouldn't do to piss off your own personal servants. I'll settle for that for now. Is that too much to ask?" It was agreed, and Riddick didn't pay much attention to the rest of the meeting. As the meeting was closed, Riddick pulled Vaako aside and asked if they could speak privately. All this roleplaying was starting to piss him off, but there were just a few more things he had to do before he could return to his quarters and beat the living shit out of something. What that was he hadn't yet decided, but he'd figure it out when he got there.

"What worries you, Lord Marshall?" Vaako asked quietly once the others had moved away from them in the hallway.

"Don't call me that unless it's in a fucking meeting." Vaako nodded slowly. "Are there cameras and microphones in my rooms?"

"Just cameras," Vaako said with a shrug.

"I want them out."

"They're for security, Riddick."

"I don't give a shit," Riddick insisted. "I want them out. Privacy. I was in a prison for most of my life. A dark one." Vaako's eyes widened, but he didn't comment. "It pisses me off to think someone might be watching." Vaako nodded. "I mean it, Vaako. I'll kill the security team and do it myself if I have to, but they're coming out one way or another."

"I'll send a team in to remove them," Vaako promised. "And for the record, I'm glad you decided to take part in leadership." Riddick rolled his eyes. He couldn't help it.

"I'm not the leader type," Riddick snickered. "I just want to make sure you all don't try to fuck me over just because I'm not playing the role well enough." Vaako shrugged, as though that were reason enough. "How long do you really expect I'll do this?"

"I haven't given it much thought, honestly," Vaako said slowly. "I'm sure you'll figure out how you want to end your roleplaying eventually." Riddick was just glad he didn't say it was his rule. He would have punched him dead in the face for that.

"Start thinking about it, Vaako. You're the one that talked me into this shit in the first place," Riddick snapped, turning on his heel.

"Which girl did you request?" Vaako's question stopped Riddick in his tracks. She'd hinted that the situation wasn't openly discussed. _Guess it depends on who you are. _

"You don't give a fuck," Riddick snapped, disappearing down the hallway.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Riddick collapsed onto his stomach, watching the sheets poof under his weight as he fell onto the bed. His chest heaved, sweat beading on his forehead, and he had to chuckle as he glanced around the room. A shake of the head, and he dropped it to the mattress under him, consciously slowing his breathing. It'd been a long time since he'd had the opportunity to go on a rampage like that, and the state of his living quarters reflected that. It was a mess. Broken vases, shattered glass, pillows ripped open, the feathers still floating in the air. He snickered and rolled onto his back. A knocking at the door brought him to his feet, instantly on alert. Soundlessly, he closed the distance to the comm unit next to the door and punched the green button. He sighed and pulled open the door.

"Holy shit. What happened, sir?" the technician asked, eyes wide as he glanced around the room. The guy was young – probably too young to be worried about his reputation, judging from his ease at addressing the 'Lord Marshall' so casually.

"I threw a fit," Riddick snapped. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Oh, um, I'm here the remove the cameras as requested, sir," he said quickly, eyes still darting over the mess Riddick had made.

"Don't call me 'sir'," Riddick ordered. The guy's eyebrow rose. _Eh, what the hell?_ Riddick thought. "Makes me feel old," he said with a shrug. The technician chuckled and nodded.

"Should I call up for the maintenance crew?" he asked, setting his toolbox on the floor and opening it, rummaging through.

"Yeah, do that," Riddick relented. _Hey, I don't wanna clean it up. Kinda convenient to have room service. Have to remember that in case I need to kill someone and make a mess._

"You want all the cameras out? They're all accessible through your comm unit, so if you want to leave a couple for your own security, I can lock them out of the security station so no one else can see them."

"I'm not too worried about it," Riddick. _Can't hurt to spread the word my room's vulnerable. Might actually have a reason to kill someone that way._ "Just leave the one outside the door so I can see who's bothering me." The techie nodded, adding a small smirk that piqued Riddick's interest, but he didn't ask. "I got a question for you."

"Sure thing," the techie said, nodding quickly as he got to work. Riddick had predicted most of the places the cameras were hidden, but there were a few he'd not thought of.

"Am I the only one that can get into my room?" The tech glanced up at him. "I noticed it has a palm lock. Anyone else's prints cleared or just mine?"

"Well, the head of maintenance is cleared, but we can change that if you want us to," he said with a shrug. "Or put it on approval so it's only cleared when you approve it from the inside."

"Do that," Riddick ordered. Another nod from the tech. "What's your name by the way?"

"I'm just a tech."

"I know that," Riddick sighed. "What's your name?"

"Daniel."

"Well, Daniel," Riddick continued, "Is there a gym or dojo or something on this massive piece of shit?" Daniel's eyebrow rose. "Someplace I can work out instead of tearing up my room every time I have a bad day?" The boy smiled a bit and nodded.

"You can call up a map of the entire armada," he explained. "It's searchable, so if you don't want to go room by room, that might be the best way." Riddick nodded. "And it's continually updated so if anyone gets transferred or promoted it's always correct," Daniel added. _Good to know, _Riddick thought, but he only nodded. "You're not like the other Lord Marshall," Daniel commented quietly.

"Why's that?"

"He broke my jaw my first day." Riddick's eyebrow rose. "He'd called up because one of his cameras wasn't responding and took it out on me. You're actually kinda cool." Riddick couldn't help but grin. This kid could prove useful.

"How long you been working tech?"

"Five years," Daniel said with a shrug. "Started when I was ten, and that's only because I kept hacking into the system." Riddick chuckled. Sounded like Jack. His smile fell. "Figured they could let me work against them or for them, so they hired me."

"So you work for them, huh?" Riddick wasn't one for small talk – he asked the questions he wanted answers to for future reference. The pause in Daniel's working gave him away. "Don't worry kid. I'm not like other Lord Marshall's remember?" Daniel nodded. "So you work for them?"

"Most days." The boy dared a glance at Riddick, and a smirk grew into a grin reflecting that of the dark, thick man staring back at him. Daniel just wasn't sure whether it was a creepy or knowing grin. He'd start watching his back just in case.

"I might just call on you one of these days, Daniel," Riddick crooned. "See just how good you are."

"I don't want any trouble," Daniel started. "Most of the stuff I do is harmless. Just exploration and shit. Nothing serious. I don't ever learn anything."

"You might want to start," Riddick said slowly. Daniel's face paled. "There are a lot of people on this ship who don't like me much, and I'd greatly appreciate any heads up you could give me." Daniel nodded vigorously. After all, if the Lord Marshall gives you permission, you have good reason to be snooping. "Just don't get caught." Daniel nodded again, hiding a grin behind his work. Riddick wandered into a different room, and Daniel's work started seeming like less of a chore to him.

Sevic's eyes were swollen and bloodshot. She rubbed at them, hoping to alleviate some of the itchiness, but it didn't do anything but make it worse. A heavy sigh. She rolled onto her other side and curled back up into a ball, sleep drifting just out of reach.

_God, life is boring when there's nothing to do but sleep. _

_ Would you rather Riddick summon you again?_

_ No._

_ Then quit complaining. _

She chuckled in spite of herself and rolled off the bed, landing silently on her feet before standing and shuffling to her meager bathroom. Her eyes avoided the mirror as she undressed, and she concentrated instead on drawing her bath, full of scented bubbles. That was one thing she considered a perk of the job – whores were supposed to be alluring, so they had all the scents and lotions they could ever want, and even had the luxury of requesting what they wanted. She inhaled deeply through her nose, trying to imagine what a jasmine flower looked like just based on its smell. They didn't grow where she'd lived before this hell of a ship, so she had no idea. She did imagine, though, that they were a vivid yellow color, with dark green leaves that had scalloped, lacy edges. A tall shrub, bursting with flowers that bloomed year-round. Her eyes fluttered closed, the imaginary flowers consuming her thoughts. Every now and again her mental image of the plant would change, more fitting to what the scent seemed to look like in her eyes. A small smile played on her lips as she soaked the tension away, one of the few moments she truly lost herself in this place.

She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but was rudely awakened by a harsh pounding at the door, nearly drowning herself she was so startled. After a few moments to orient herself, she swore, standing to reach for a towel.

"Just a minute," she called, swearing quietly with every movement she made. She wrapped her heavy robe around her and crossed her arms around her waist to hold it shut, not caring the water in her hair was dripping all over the floor. Her face fell as the door jerked open to reveal the same two servants as the day before. She stared at them for a moment, but they just stared back expectantly, so she nodded. "Give me a minute." They didn't deny her, so she shut the door and dressed quickly, toweling her hair as dry as she could and shaking it out, hoping it would make due well enough to be considered fixed. The keys to her door were deposited into her pocket and she took the cloak, cold fingers arranging the hood over her head before following them down the darkened hallway and back into the world she hated so much. _And I'd just gotten to a good point in my day,_ she thought bitterly, biting back a sigh. The door to the Lord Marshall's suite was closed behind her and, once again, she just stood there.

"Cameras are gone," she heard him say. She lifted her head, but didn't remove the cloak.

"Why did you ask me here?" she asked coldly. He was seated on the bench at the foot of the giant bed, leaning forward on his elbows, looking up at her from under furrowed eyebrows.

"I said the cameras are gone. You can relax," he repeated, his voice hinting a bit of amusement.

"And I asked why you called me here," she retorted.

"Answers," he said flatly. The anger fell from her face, replaced with a sheepish blankness. "Take off your cloak," Riddick suggested gently. "Chill out."

"I'm fine," she returned flatly. He shrugged and stood. She was amazed at how silently such a large man could move, but she didn't comment.

"Just so you know," he said, his back turned to her, "none of you will be punished for anything anymore, unless it's a serious offense."

"What's considered a serious offense?"

"Killing someone, I guess," he said with a shrug.

"Being sent away?" she asked timidly. He turned the smirk that once resided on his features replaced with one slightly sympathetic. She couldn't really read him; she'd never met anyone so expressionless, and it bothered her.

"No, not being sent away, and not failing to enjoy your task, and not completing your task to your client's liking, either," Riddick said slowly, handing a glass out to her. She shook her head, and he shrugged, drinking it himself instead. "So tell me something." His eyes were still on her, but she didn't respond, so he continued: "How did you know there were cameras in my rooms?"

"Common sense."

"Don't lie to me," he said firmly without biting at her. She took a breath and paused.

"Being in the Lords' rooms has its advantages at times," she said slowly.

"You've been doing some recon then," he inferred.

"When it's suited me, yes," she said with a small shrug.

"I really wish you'd take that cloak off," Riddick said with a small smile. She glanced up at him but didn't return the smile.

"I really wish you'd not taken me away from my bath," she retorted. He blinked quickly, but it was the only indication he gave that she'd surprised him with that remark. Instead, he drained the glass in his hand and turned. She assumed he was refilling it, and when he turned back to her, she saw she'd been right. "May I make a suggestion?" He nodded. "Don't drink when you're around them." His eyebrow rose. "Alcohol makes the tongue loose. They capitalize on that."

"You say 'they' like you're not one of them," he noted, watching her over the rim of his glass as he took another smaller sip.

"I'm not." Once again, he was unphased.

"How much have you learned when it suited you?"

"Nothing you'd be interested in," she said flatly, turning to wander around the room, taking in the large paintings, which had just received new glass paneling after his little tirade.

"You might be surprised." She paused slightly, but didn't continue.

"What do you know about Dame Vaako?"

"She's a snake," Sevic said quietly.

"Is she a threat?"

"To you? Probably not," she answered with a shrug. "She'd only be a threat to you if she got her husband on her side again, and after the stunt with the previous Lord Marshall, he's bound to be more wary of her little plans." Riddick nodded. _Good to know_.

"What about to you?" She paused again, her hand lingering above a small plant she was just reaching out to touch.

"Don't worry about me."

"I'm not," Riddick said slowly. "But answer me anyway."

"Not really. Lord Vaako doesn't call for me often, and it's usually when she's preoccupied with something else, so as far as I know she's clueless."

"Who did call for you often?"

"That's none of your business," she said coolly, her answer picking up right where his question left of, as though it were all a part of the same breath.

"List of enemies, Sevic. I need to know who I need to watch out for."

"It's not my fault you've claimed me for your own," she said quickly. "You should have thought about that before you ordered me untouchable."

"I'm not worried about them coming after me." Her eyes met his, and she forced herself to hold them there. "They know what I'm capable of."

"You shouldn't underestimate a woman who has nothing to lose." Her eyebrow was slightly arched, daring him to counter her, but he didn't. He'd pry for that later.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, pointing at the comm unit. She shook her head. "You sure?" A small nod. He shrugged and walked over to the unit, calling up a menu and ordering. She sat on the small chair next to the bathroom doorway and folded her hands in her lap. The conversation was put on pause until after the food was delivered.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Riddick closed the door and sighed, rubbing his eyes with the back of a hand. She watched him carefully, taking in every movement he made as though storing them for later use. She was, actually. Being just a call girl to everyone around her made it simple for her to be calculating, and that was a strong point for her. But she'd never let Riddick know just how strong it was or he'd use it to his advantage and that was a risk she wasn't yet willing to take. He may have showed the first signs of trying to protect her but she still didn't trust him any farther than she could throw him. And that wasn't very far.

"You're sure you're not hungry," he said again, disbelieving.

"I'm fine." He nodded with a slight shrug and tried a few dishes. It became obvious early on he'd not known what he'd ordered, and she found it hard to choke down a laugh at some of the faces he made when he found an item he didn't like. "Why are you so interested in me?" she asked suddenly. He paused, food poised in front of his mouth.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confusion showing through his mask. He had few expressions, but she was starting to pin them down now.

"It would seem to me that it would be more rewarding for you to get in with some of the Commanders and their associates instead of a whore," she said openly. His eyebrows furled at her choice of word for herself, but she just looked up at him expectantly, still wearing her cloak, hands still folded in her lap.

"The people that know the most are the people everyone else least suspects," he said with a shrug.

"And you learned that where?" He cleared his throat, casting her a glance that should have been a warning, but it failed. She just watched him take another drink from his glass.

"I didn't exactly have an easy life," he said gruffly.

"Neither have I," she retorted. He cocked his head to the side, granting her point, but said no more. "If I was supposed to have been enlightened by that little revelation of yours, you failed miserably." His eyes narrowed, but the tug of a smirk at the corner of his lips gave him away. _So he likes a smartass, huh?_ she thought. _Mental note. _

"I'm the one seeking enlightenment here," he said slowly. She was beginning to like his voice. Most of the pipsqueaks running around this place didn't have near the intrigue to them as he did.

"Too bad both of us are overly suspicious," she said with a small shrug. His laugh surprised her; it was unnatural to her ears being so open and unabashed, but she found herself smiling.

"There's no such thing as overly suspicious, doll." Her smile instantly fell at the nickname, and he noticed but didn't press. "Better to be paranoid than unprepared."

"Good call," she granted with a small nod.

"I heard an ugly rumor that most of you in that hallway were married to men who refused to convert." Her eyes closed, and he wished he'd found a more roundabout way of saying it. "Shit. That didn't come out right," he mumbled.

"It's not a rumor," she responded, her voice small and timid. "Most of us were."

"And you?"

"It doesn't matter, Riddick." She suddenly looked tired, and he mentally kicked himself. "What's done is done, and all that matters is what happens next."

"I've got a tech doing some digging," he admitted quietly.

"May I ask who?"

"Daniel." She nodded, smiling slightly at his answer.

"You're a good judge of character then," she commented.

"Good choice then?"

"From what I understand he's gotten into quite a bit of trouble for sneaking around places he shouldn't be."

"I told him not to get caught."

"He hasn't in a while," she assured him. "They think he's straightened up since his last reprimand, but it's not the case." Riddick nodded in satisfaction. "May I ask what you're planning?"

"An escape." His eyes met hers, searching for any reaction, but got only the cold, emotionless exterior she'd gotten so good at keeping in place.

"You just got here."

"And they're already driving me out of my fucking mind," he said with a snicker. She smiled as well, but it didn't linger.

"She didn't make it, did she?" Sevic avoided his eyes, but her voice told him all he needed to know. She'd been there, somewhere in the crowd looking on. His jaw set, and that picture flashed in his memory again. He felt her glance at him, but didn't look her way. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. She wasn't apologizing for asking, but for his loss.

"You've got nothing to lose, huh?" his voice was strained, and she looked up at him again. "You said not to underestimate a woman with nothing to lose. I'm assuming that's you." She nodded. "That makes two of us then." An awkward silence settled over them for a while; she fidgeted with her fingers in her lap, and he swirled the dark liquid in his glass. Finally, he cleared his throat. "I'm going to give you clearance to enter this room," he said slowly. "You come here if you need to." She looked up at him.

"I have a room of my own," she insisted.

"It's not as safe," he insisted. She shrugged. "I mean it, Sevic. You come here if anything happens."

"Why?"

"Because I let you in." Her eyebrow rose in confusion, and he sighed, sitting wearily onto the bench at the foot of his bed again, his head dropping between his shoulders. "I swore to myself after Kyra died that I'd never let anyone else in. Everyone who gets close to me dies." Sevic was touched, but still utterly confused.

"You didn't let me in," she said quietly. He nodded. "I don't know anything about you, Riddick. You've not let me in."

"Yes I have." His head came up, his eyes holding hers steadily with the admission, and she swallowed nervously.

"Look, if this is about last night, it's not a big-"

"It's not." Her brows furled, and he shook his head. "It has nothing to do with you." She just stared at him as he chuckled lightly. "Man, Johns was right. Only around humans."

"Care to let me in on the joke?" Her voice held a slight touch of agitation, but he only chuckled again.

"I'm a murderer, Sevic. Twenty something bodies at my hands." Her eyebrows rose. "Spent half my life in a slam and they always said I was only dangerous around humans."

"And why is that?"

"Because I have a soft spot, believe it or not." She shook her head, not following. "Women and kids." Her lips formed a silent 'oh.' "It's a god forsaken duty of mine to protect women and kids in trouble, and it always fucking backfires." He sighed, leaning back against the footboard of the bed. "It takes them nearly nothing but one god damn act of kindness to break through my thick skull and I just have to make sure they're okay." She smiled slightly. "Shitty thing is, in the process they always end up on the hot end of the stun gun, if you catch my drift."

"So why not isolate yourself?" she asked, now completely intrigued.

"I did." His jovial mood changed to bitterness, and she began to wonder if she should have asked. "Mercs tracked me down, found out Kyra was in a slam, and had to rescue her. And the shit hit the fan," he finished, punctuating the confession by draining the last of his drink. "And you're right." Her eyebrow arched. "I definitely shouldn't drink around them." She smiled and took a breath, focusing on an intricate design in the rug between them.

"I was married," she admitted quietly. Riddick leaned forward, setting his glass on the floor under the bench he occupied. "The Necros invaded, did their usual spiel. Granted, I didn't know what was going on. We were one of the first planets on their list." His eyebrows rose. "Seleron." He nodded. "Anyway, they rounded us up – you saw that part." She shook her head, her eyebrows now quivering. "Jason promised me everything would be fine, just do what I had to do. He was on the planetary council, so he thought it was his duty to try to protect the people." Riddick noticed her hands were now trembling noticeably. "Since I was his wife, I wasn't considered for a breeder. They just hauled me off to the Hallway and locked me up." He sighed. _Worse than I thought._ "The first few times I was a little more feisty than they anticipated, so I was put in my place –"

"You mean beat into submission," he interjected. She nodded.

"It got to the point where it was easier to deal with when I didn't fight it, so I gave in as much as I had to." She was quiet for a while, and he didn't know what to say so he didn't. "It never gets easy when there's a knock at the door," she continued. "You always know what happens next and that no matter what you do it's inevitable. So you give them just as much as they want to keep yourself intact without losing yourself. Some of the women, though," she said, shaking her head. "Some of them have gotten to where they couldn't be happier anywhere else." Riddick sighed. "And the day I get to that point is the day I'll take my own life." He just stared at her, understanding. He was now at the point where he'd take his own life if he was forced to go back to slam.

"You don't have to worry about that now," he said quietly.

"And for that I'm endlessly grateful to you," she said with a small smile, meeting his eyes once more. They shimmered with tears that didn't fall. At that moment, she because beautiful to him. "I can't help you Riddick," she stated, somewhat sadly. "I don't have access to anything or anyone. All I know is what I hear and there's no way I can verify it."

"I'm not asking you to help me," he insisted equally as quietly. "I'm asking you to be the one that doesn't die because they got too close." She smiled slightly.

"I'm not as close as you'd like me to be, and I don't think I'll ever reach that point."

"You got me all wrong, doll." That look again. "I don't want you to be close. That's a risk no one should have to take." She nodded. "But you're in now," she looked up at him, and he pointed to his head. "And that's a risk I made you take, and I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe."

"Don't make promises, Riddick," she returned. "They only get broken." He smiled genuinely this time, and she figured it was because he agreed. "If I can ask, how did I get in in the first place?"

"You found me in the hallway." Her forehead crinkled in confusion, and he chuckled. "You treated me like a human instead of an animal like everyone else."

"Well, in reality you're both a human and an animal, since a human is a type of animal," she quipped.

"Smartass." She shrugged. "Is Vaako a threat?"

"I thought we already went through this," she said with a sigh.

"No, the Commander."

"I doubt it," she said slowly. "He's got a strong sense of honor and duty – crock of shit if you ask me – so I doubt he'd try to take you on."

"He distracted the recently departed Lord Marshall and gave me the opportunity to avenge Kyra's death," Riddick said plainly.

"Like I said, he'll be more wary of his wife's plotting now that he was foiled," she said plainly. "Dame Snake probably pushed the duty and honor buttons to get him to do it in the first place. She's a conniving, evil bitch of a woman, let me tell you," Sevic continued with a snicker. "The power itch is much stronger than the desire for a spotless reputation, as I'm sure you've noticed. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to crawl into your bed to feed her power addiction."

"She's not my type," Riddick scoffed. Sevic's eyebrow cocked. "I'd worry that she'd kill me to take my place as Lord Marshall if that happened." Sevic laughed herself, a lilting sound that danced on Riddick's ears. He decided he liked it and planned on drawing that sound out of her again. "I want you to stay here from now on," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"I'm serious. I don't want you out there where Dame Vaako can get to you."

"Why would she in the first place?"

"Because as long as you're reserved for the Lord Marshall she thinks I'm taken with someone, and that means you're a threat to her power hunt," Riddick said matter-of-factly.

"I told you not to underestimate me."

"I don't. But it's a chance I don't want you to have to take just because of my god damn urge to look after you." She just stared at him. "Christ. Just fucking humor me."

"Can I get my things?" she asked in exasperation after a moment of thought.

"I'll have them brought up," Riddick said with a nod.

"No. I want to get them myself. There are things there I don't need and other things I couldn't live without." He sighed, finally giving in with a single nod.

"Take one of the monkeys outside with you," he commanded. "If you're not back in an hour I'm coming down there to get you myself." She rolled her eyes, throwing her hands in the air. "Is that really too much to ask?" he barked.

"Fine. An hour." She stood and walked to the door, glancing at him over her shoulder before addressing one of the servants standing outside. He glanced in at Riddick, who nodded with a stern look on his face, and then agreed to accompany her. _What the hell are you doing?_ the voice in Riddick's head demanded. __


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sevic glanced over her shoulder nervously, nodding at the servants following her to stay in the hallway. They complied, and she entered her quarters, her eyes flitting around the darkened room quickly. With shaking hands, she snatched up a pillow, stripping it of the pillowcase, filling it quickly. She counted the seconds, going through a mental checklist as she stashed items in the cloth bag, finally dropping it into the floor and stripping the other pillow, unsteady legs carrying her into the bathroom, which she emptied as well. With hair bands, she tied each pillowcase closed and opened the door, pausing in surprise as the servants took the pillow cases from her and motioned for her to lead them down the hallway. After a couple of blinks, she complied, adjusting the hood of her cloak to conceal her face. Riddick evidently heard them coming, opening the door for them as they came within a few steps of reaching it. He took the bags from the servant and waved them away, holding the door open for Sevic with a foot. She closed it quietly behind her, watching him set the bags gently on the floor.

"Get everything?" he asked quietly. She nodded, wrapping her arms around her middle and shifting her weight from foot to foot, her cloak making a quiet swishing sound that prompted Riddick's eyebrow to arch quizzically.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, staring down at her bags next to him.

"I told you –"

"And I want to know the truth," she interjected quickly. "What does the Lord Marshall care whether one of his whores is safe or not when he's got thirty others to choose from?"

"I'm not the Lord Marshall," Riddick growled. Her eyebrow rose, but she said nothing. "Look," he continued, running a hand over his head, "if you want to go back, fine. Go back. But don't blame me when someone tries to fuck you over."

"It wouldn't be the first time," she spat coldly. His eyes met hers angrily.

"I'm trying to do you a favor here," he said slowly.

"Like the favor you did me last time you called me up here?" It was out before she could stop it, and she instantly regretted it, finding herself pinned to the wall a good two feet off the ground, with a very angry Riddick staring straight into her face, nostrils flaring, veins protruding from his forehead.

"I saved you a beating." His voice was lower than humanly possible, vibrating through the room, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She noticed his grip loosen a bit, his face softening, and she realized her lip was trembling.

"The beatings don't hurt as much," she whispered, her eyes closing at the tremor in her voice. _Shit. Do NOT cry again,_ she commanded herself. She forced herself to open her eyes, feeling a stream of water trickle down the side of her cheek as the silver pools reflected her face back to her. "I never had the chance to mourn my husband," she continued quietly. "They didn't give me time before they forced me into this life." He lowered her slowly, and she slid to the ground as her feet touched, her legs unable to support her. She leaned her head against the wall, biting her lip to keep it still as he just stared down at her.

"Mourn him, then," Riddick said gruffly. She jumped as the door slammed behind him, her surprise breaking her wall just enough to let out a violent sob before silence settled in.

_You sure know how to pick them. _Riddick paced the hallway slowly, shaking his head, his face turned into a sour frown. _Carolyn was reckless and a little too self-sacrificial, Jack was too young, Kyra was too independent, and now Sevic._ He couldn't stifle the snicker. _Sevic's just too fuckin' needy. _He glanced over his shoulder at the door and sighed. _What did you expect?_ he asked himself, not knowing the answer. _Hell, you haven't had time to mourn Kyra either. _His eyebrow rose. _I cried, isn't that good enough? _Another weighty sigh. He had to get away from this hallway.

The corridors led him around the ship, and he followed without thinking about where he was going. He passed several Necros without looking at them, and they scurried away quickly, their voices carrying in hushed whispers bouncing off the walls around him. He wouldn't have stopped walking if he hadn't heard his name whispered. His arms hung loosely at his side, his head cocked at a slight angle, ear turned to his back to listen. Then his nose caught the scent.

"Dame Vaako," he said slowly. The click of her heels confirmed his assumption.

"I assume you're settling into your quarters without incident?" she asked lightly. His only response was a quiet growl as she neared him, circling him slowly. "Is there anything you require, Lord Marshall?"

"How about a little privacy?" he asked, his eyes following her slow, deliberate movement. The smug smirk tugging at the corners of her lips started his anger on its descent. She must have sensed it, as she stopped her pacing to stand directly in front of him, one hand on the hip she'd thrust to the side as far as she could without ripping the dress she'd poured herself into.

"I think what you really want is a little company," she said slowly, taking a step toward him. She paused at the slight ripple of muscle as he tensed, her eyes flitting over his body before returning to the silver pools staring down at her menacingly. His eyes never left hers as she reached out, running her hand lightly down his arm as she took another step forward. One more step and she'd be touching more than his arm.

"What would your husband say?" Riddick asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

"My husband is incapable and incompetent," she hissed, eyes narrowing up at him. Riddick only arched an eyebrow and smirked. "He frequents that darkened hallway more than anyone could ever know, and assumes I'm none the wiser."

"Jealous?"

"Hardly," she snorted in the self-righteous manner she'd perfected.

"You should be," he crooned, letting the smirk he'd been fighting surface. Her eyebrow rose, her hand pausing on his arm. "I'd be the second target of yours that hallway took from you." Her face grew dark, and she flounced away from him quickly, her shoes clicking violently down the corridor as she made a less than graceful exit. He snickered, shaking his head before turning back toward his suite.

His steps slowed as he rounded the corner, feet moving silently toward his door as he listened. Silence, and arching eyebrow. His hand hovered over the doorknob, pausing four heartbeats until he turned and pushed, entering the room noiselessly. He closed the door behind him, glancing around the room, the breath leaving him in a sigh. She was still crumpled against the wall, holding her stomach as she cried softly. _Fuck_.

She started at the contact, the trembling returning as he moved the hood of her cloak away from her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut tightly as she shook her head, tearing her face from his hands. He shushed her gently, wiping her tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. She sniffed as he moved away from her, letting out a shaky breath, but tensed up as he returned, crouching in front of her.

"Here," he said quietly. She shook her head, not caring what he was offering her, but his hand gripped hers, closing her fingers around a glass tumbler. Her eyes avoided his face as she looked at the glass, filled half-full with a dark liquid. She sniffed again, considering, then giving in, downing the glass in a single swallow, grimacing against the heat. The glass clunked but didn't break as she let it fall from her hand, her stomach growing warm with the alcohol. "Look at me," he commanded gently. Her lip quivered as she shook her head, her brows knitting as he grasped her chin to move her face. "Look at me." She sniffed again, then complied, an eyebrow twitching slightly as she took in his face, set in the most open expression she'd seen him wear yet. Sympathy. He let her shake her head and drop her face as the tears resurfaced, and he reached out, pulling her into his lap as she wept, stroking her hair lightly as his mind flipped through its Kyra album again.

"I'll take the floor." Her eyebrow rose, hands pausing above the pin in her hair as she glanced up at him, eyebrow arched. He forced a small smile and nodded once.

"You sure?" she asked quietly, removing the pin. His eyes followed her fingers as they ran through her dark waves, and he nodded again. She watched him sprawl out on the rug at the foot of the bed before climbing under the heavy sheets, settling in on the left side of the mattress instinctively. He called off the lights, only a 15 % drop, and she stared up into the darkness. "Riddick?" He didn't answer, so she continued. "What did you do before you came here?" A quiet snicker.

"You don't want to know," came the response. Her eyebrow rose, and she sat up in bed, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"I wouldn't have asked," she said softly.

"You really don't want to know." His voice held a bit of an edge to it, but that only served to pique her interest even more.

"Tell me anyway," she pressed. He sighed. The room fell silent. "Okay, let me guess then," she mused. "You're a big, intimidating person who's overly suspicious, even though such a thing doesn't exist, and overly perceptive with some kind of eye enhancement." She couldn't see his grin. "And you like taunting people to the point where they're so pissed off they can't control themselves and do exactly what you want them to do." She scratched her forehead lightly, forehead crinkled in deliberation. "Military?"

"Not recently," he said quietly.

"But previously, then," she guessed. No answer. "Okay, were you a bodyguard?" His snort and chuckle made her smile. "No. Okay." She fell silent, licking her lips as the next guess came to her. "Were you a hitman?" she asked slowly, carefully, timidly.

"Not exactly, no," he answered after a beat.

"What do you mean, not exactly? Either you were a hitman or you weren't. There's not a variance in degree. Just like being pregnant. One can't be slightly pregnant or mostly pregnant. Either pregnant or not pregnant." Riddick laughed. "So were you or weren't you a hitman?"

"You've got the funniest ways of comparing things," Riddick commented, still chuckling.

"And you've got the biggest problem with answering questions directly," she retorted. His laugh halted, smile falling, and she gulped. "Were you a hitman, Riddick?"

"No."

"This game isn't as much fun when you take it so seriously," she sighed, propping her head up on her hand, elbow balanced on a knee.

"What did you do before?" he asked.

"Hmm," she said with a small smirk. "This game isn't as much fun when it's centered on me." He snickered. "I was a carpenter," she answered, her smile falling. "Well, not a carpenter per se," she corrected hurriedly, "more of a cabinet maker type. I didn't do major construction or anything." Riddick glanced toward her, his view obstructed by the footboard. "Mostly just piddled around the house fixing broken furniture we found abandoned curbside or doing smaller projects. Sold them once they were fixed up enough."

"So you made a living that way?" Riddick asked, voice holding a touch of disbelief.

"Oh, absolutely," she answered. "We'd find all sorts of things – couches, tables, chairs, shelves. Everything. Most times it would just take some reupholstering or a new finish. Every now and then I'd get this bright idea to build something from scratch, but that didn't happen often," she added. "Had a little shop in the middle of town. Workshop took the back half and the store was in the front." A soft sigh. "And it's all gone now." Riddick shifted uncomfortably as she let the silence settle. "So what about you?" she finally asked.

"I told you, you don't want to know," he gruffed, rolling onto his side, his back facing her.

"Well, that's not fair," she snickered. "I spilled my secret – more than one, might I add – and you've not told me anything other than you weren't _exactly_ a hitman and you _used _to be in the military, though what branch for what Council I've no idea."

"It's not nearly as happy a story, Sevic," he sighed, letting his eyes close as the sheets ruffled with her movement.

"Look at me, Riddick," she said softly. He turned toward the bed, taking in the small face peering down at him over the footboard. "I'm a whore, and not by choice. How much worse could your life have been in comparison?" Her face smiled, but her eyes were distressed at the admission. He wished just for a moment he could see color correctly, if only to see her face as it really existed instead of the swirling pinks, grays, and purples that had become his world.

"I was a serial killer," he said quietly. She blinked, but it was the only indication she'd heard him and been affected. She took a breath and paused, running her tongue over her lower lip as she glanced away.

"So when you said you weren't a hitman, you were saying you didn't kill for the money but the kill itself," she speculated. She glanced at his face, his hard stare confirming her conjecture. "Which is worse, do you think?" His eyebrow twitched, and she smiled softly. "For the money or for the pleasure?"

"Never thought about it," he said slowly.

"I would think it'd be worse to kill for the money," she said with a shrug. His eyebrow arched. "When you kill for the money, it's not about people or passion. It's just about greed," she explained. "But when you kill for the kill – just for the pleasure of taking a life – you understand how precious that life is, how fragile." She was staring into space now, her thoughts pouring out of her without censorship. "And whether it's just for the pleasure of taking life or whether it's for your own survival," she paused, shaking her head slightly as though the world just suddenly made sense to her, "you still feel something. Have a passion for something." She glanced at him quickly, as though he'd just caught her in the middle of a crime, and shrugged, leaning her head to the other side with a soft sigh. "But then again, I'm just a whore. What do I know?" She smiled, and he returned it. "What I do know, however, is that despite what people may say about serial killers not having feelings for anyone other than themselves," she paused, eyeing him, "is that you cared for the girl that gave her life trying to save you." Riddick's jaw tightened, his eyes falling away from her. "And another thing I know is that people don't give their lives to save someone they don't care about, so she cared for you as well."

"I don't know anything about people," Riddick gruffed, glancing up at her when she clicked her tongue at him, a scolding smirk playing on her lips.

"Oh, come on," she chided. "You know more about people than you let on." His eyebrow rose. "You know enough about people to manipulate them – and quite well, might I add. You know enough to predict them, guess what they're up to or what they're planning." He flashed back to his brief encounter with Dame Vaako. "You know enough about people to care for certain ones." He swallowed, averting her eyes. "And you know enough to care whether or not you hurt those certain ones, or to attempt to choose the lesser of two pains." Their eyes met and held for a moment before she looked away, focusing on the comforter. "You might be mistaken, but you try, and that's all that matters."

"Sevic –"

"Shh," she interrupted, shaking her head. "That's all that matters." His eyebrow rose. "That you cared enough to try and that you tried, regardless of the outcome." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Do they bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

"Your eyes. You seem to rub them a lot," she observed.

"Not really. Get tired every now and then," he said with a shrug.

"Forgive my ignorance, but—"

"It's a shine job," he explained, smirking slightly. "Prison surgery." She nodded, but obviously wasn't enlightened. "I'm not really sure how the procedure works, but when it's done, it alters your vision so you see in heat impressions."

"Even in the dark," she said, smiling slightly.

"Exactly. The expression 'I see you' means something down there," he said quietly. "Especially when you can't see the person that said it."

"Oh, I'm sure you never said that," she said sarcastically. He chuckled, watching her smile reach her eyes. "I'm sure you were a model prisoner, weren't you?"

"Depends on who you ask," he said equally as sarcastically. She grinned, nodding as she laughed quietly.

"What do I look like?" she asked slowly. "In your eyes?"

"Pink and purple with little touches of gray," he described, watching her eyebrow arch. "I swear."

"That's got to be annoying," she guessed.

"You get used to it after a while."

"Do you ever wish you'd not done it?"

"No," he answered without hesitation. "Full light's a bitch – hurts like hell – but it's a great asset if you know how to apply it." She nodded, cocking her head as he took a breath and paused as though contemplating whether or not to ask a question. "What color are your eyes?"

"Is the shine job reversible?" she asked.

"No."

"My eyes are brown," she answered. His eyebrow rose.

"Are you lying to me?"

"No," she said with a smirk. "Okay, okay. Fine," she laughed. "I have hazel eyes."

"What's that mean?" he asked.

"You've never seen hazel eyes?"

"I've had a shine job for twenty years. Do you really think I'd remember if I had?" he asked.

"Good point," she said with a chuckle. "Hazel is a little bit of everything. It depends on what I wear, really, what color my eyes appear. Some days they're gray, some days green, some days blue, and I'm sure you get the point." He nodded slowly, and she figured he was trying to imagine it. "Do you know what color your eyes were?"

"My guess would be brown, but I don't know," he answered, shrugging. She yawned, and a silence fell over them. "You should sleep," Riddick finally said quietly.

"Are you sure you're alright on the floor?"

"I don't sleep much anyway," he answered. "Don't worry about me." She smiled slightly and nodded.

"Good night, Riddick."

"Night."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"It'll be okay, Sevic." Sevic only shook her head, watching as what looked like thousands of ships descending on what was left of their city, turning her large, hazel eyes up to focus on his. Her lip trembled slightly, not from the fear caused by these ships invading their community, but from the fear grasping her heart with an icy cold hand that he would try to do something about these ships invading their community. "Sevic, doll, just listen to me." She inhaled deeply, trying to shut out the rolling feeling now taking over her stomach. "You remember what I told you?" Her eyes closed, and she nodded once, slowly. "If anything happens to me…" She felt him looking at her, waiting for her to finish his sentence.

"I survive however I have to," she obliged quietly, her voice betraying her as it cracked. He nodded, resting a warm palm on her cheek. She turned her face into his touch, squeezing her eyes shut tighter as his lips pressed to her forehead. "Please don't do this, Jason," she whispered, her voice muffling as he pulled her into his chest. Her hands went around his waist, fingers digging into his shoulder blades as he buried his face in her neck.

"I have to, doll," he whispered back. She shook her head, losing her battle against the tears threatening to break. "If someone has to die, I'd rather it be me than all of you." That clenched it. With a shuddering sob, she let it go, shaking arms clinging to him tightly as he rocked her back and forth. His hand cupped the back of her neck, thumb moving slowly back and forth just under her ear as she cried against him.

"I love you." He smiled against her skin before biting lightly and returning the whisper. It only made her cry harder, shaking both of them before a gurgling sound startled them apart. Sevic's eyebrow rose, and Jason's hand tightened around hers as something in what looked like a wetsuit – _full of water? _– stared back at them. A quick glance between them before turning back to the thing and lifting their hands slowly as two heavily armored guards stalked up behind whatever had discovered them.

Her eyes wandered throughout the entire Necromonger spiel – she'd not heard a word they said. She watched a thin, glamorous woman pace around the women gathered in the hall, sometimes reaching out to finger a strand of hair or caress the cheek of the cowering female, smirking as they recoiled from her. She approached Sevic, eyes flitting quickly up and down, and Sevic felt the anger rise, knowing it was reflecting in her eyes. The woman's brows furled as Sevic continued to hold her glare, outright scowling as Sevic pulled away from her touch. She hissed, and a man walked up behind her, glancing down at the woman, then back to Sevic before escorting the woman away from her. Sevic held the glare until the woman couldn't crane her neck enough to keep it, and stifled a satisfied snort.

"Convert now, or fall forever." The line snapped Sevic to attention, suddenly realizing her husband wasn't next to her anymore, and she glanced around the room frantically. "You are the leader of this planet, are you not?"

"I am." Sevic's stomach fell, and she pushed past the crowd of people to get closer. Her husband's brother Marcus grabbed her around the waist and restrained her, but she could still see what was going on. "I occupy a seat on the Governing Council," Jason continued, holding his chin high.

"So, then," the man circling Jason, his armor clinking, continued, "you have the authority to command your people to convert, yes?" Jason clicked his tongue, and Sevic mentally slapped him. _He's taunting the motherfucker. Why is he doing that? He's only going to piss him off even more._

"I occupy _a_ seat on the Governing Council," Jason repeated. "I cannot speak for the entire Council myself." The armored man nodded over Jason's shoulder, and Sevic stifled a gasp. A very large and similarly armored man stepped behind Jason, a knife handle sticking out of his armor. Sevic couldn't help but curl her lip and wrinkle her nose, but that expression was broken as the man lifted his arm and swung a large blade across Jason's body. Her mouth moved, but she couldn't push the scream out as he fell to the ground, his head nearly severed. Marcus' arms tightened around her as her knees buckled, and she fought against him, finally landing an elbow to his ribcage hard enough to stun him and break free. She shoved people out of the way, collapsing onto his body.

"No, no," she heard the leader say quickly. She glanced up and glared at the knife-in-the-back guy, who was holding the axe above his head ready to strike her.

"Do it," she dared him, glaring into his cold, expressionless eyes. "I've got nothing left to live for thanks to you, motherfucker, so go ahead and fucking kill me."

"Take her to the hallway," the leader commanded. The axe was dropped to the man's side, and he reached out, but her heel caught him in the nose. Too bad he didn't flinch, only grabbing for her again, hoisting her off the ground by the waist and walking out with her thrown over his shoulder. She fought, screaming every obscenity in every language she knew as the crowd remaining lowered to their knees, the leader of the Necros smiling victoriously.

Riddick glanced over his shoulder as she jolted up in bed with a yelp, her chest heaving as she panted. Her eyes darted around the room wildly, finally settling on him. His eyebrow rose as she stared at him as though she didn't know him, and turned toward her as the recognition flashed through her eyes. He took a step toward her and she held out her hand, stopping him with a shake of her head.

"Just a dream," she mumbled, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of a hand. She sniffed, and then sighed.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked quietly.

"No!" Her response was shaky and a little too quick, and he held both of his hands up, taking the step back to where he'd started. She flopped back onto the bed, scrunching her eyes shut, and he crossed his arms over his chest, just watching her. "I can feel your eyes boring into me," she snapped. "Do you mind?" His brows furled, but he only shrugged and left the room, making sure his boots moved heavily enough for her to hear his departure. She swallowed thickly and sat up, finally chucking a pillow across the room with a strangled growl.

"You break it, you buy it," she heard him call from the other room.

"Fuck you!" she yelled back, his light chuckle only serving to anger her more. Her eyes narrowed, and she shook her head, swearing in a foreign tongue before getting up and flouncing into the bathroom, slamming the door before twisting the knob on the shower. She flung off her clothes and stepped under the spray, letting the scalding water run down her head and over her face, masking the sensations of the hot tears clinging to her skin. A sob racked her body, followed by another, and another, and she finally gave in, sinking to the shower floor to roll up into a ball and rock back and forth as the memories washed over her. A light rapping at the door barely registered, and she shook her head. Her eyes closed and another sob broke loose as the door squeaked.

"Go away," she said weakly.

"Sevic?"

"Go away," she repeated, this time a whisper. She heard him sigh, and the quiet ruffling of his clothes falling to the floor. Her head turned away as the door to the shower slid open, another sob echoing off the tiles as he sighed again. He crouched in front of her, reaching out to run his hands over her hair gently, watching her ribs tremble as she cried silently. His hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her against him, and she fought him weakly. He shushed her, pulling her into his lap as he leaned back to sit, pressing his back against the wall as the shower sent a cascade of water over both of them. One of her feet was on either side of his hips, her knees cradled under his arms, her head resting on his chest just under his chin. "I hate you," she whispered, digging her fingers into his shoulders as his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"No you don't," he whispered back, running his fingers lightly up and down her spine. She pressed her forehead harder into the side of his neck, her tears mixing with the water beading up on his skin. He smoothed her wet curls away from her face and rested a hand on her cheek, his thumb trailing lazily back and forth as her sobs shook them both. After a while, she quieted, now only trembling against him despite the heat of the water. Her quick, ragged breath moved the steam in swirls, her fingers digging into his skin every now and then, as though she were making sure he was still there with her. "You okay now?" he asked gently. Her breathing paused, and she shook her head no quickly, fingers digging in again. "Okay, c'mon." He stood, somehow managing to wrap an arm under her knees and pick her up as a groom carrying his bride, kicking off the water as he stepped through the shower door. She shivered against him now, and he set her down gently, reaching over her shoulder to wrap a towel around her. She stared at her hands wound into the material, clutching it under her chin, as he wrapped his towel around his waist before picking her up again and carrying her back to the bed. He lowered her onto the soft mattress and pulled the sheets up over her, planting a kiss on her forehead before walking to the door and calling off the light.

"Riddick?" He paused, just a silhouette in the doorframe. She blinked at the urgency she felt, and swallowed quickly. "Stay with me?" More question than request. He turned, looking back at her.

"I have some things to take care of, but I'll be back soon," he said quietly. She sighed, nodding slowly. "Then I'll stay with you." He disappeared behind the door, and she was left in a dark room with only her hurried breaths to listen to.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Riddick let out a growl and knocked harder. A beep sounded, the comm camera, he supposed, and then the door rattled, a startled gasp leaving the lips of the short techie now shrinking at the sight of Riddick.

"Yes, sir?" the man stammered. Riddick scowled.

"Wanna let me in?" The man nodded quickly, stepping away from the door and heaving it open, shaking under Riddick's hard stare. "Close it," Riddick commanded, nodding at the door. The man complied and pressed back into the hard metal. "Relax," he snorted, walking away slowly, "I'm just here to pick up a few things."

"Pick up…?" the man trailed off. "This isn't a storage facility, Lord Marshall." Riddick turned quickly, his not-so-happy-face back in place.

"There's a girl that used to live in that darkened hallway. What happened to her personal effects?"

"Personal effects, sir?"

"Yeah, the shit you took from her when she was kidnapped and locked up in that hallway," Riddick growled.

"Um, I'm not allowed to—"

"Where is it?" Riddick barked loudly, making the other servants jump and stare. The man took a few deep, calming breaths.

"Um, which girl, sir?"

"Her name is Sevic," Riddick answered, arms hanging loosely, but somehow still menacingly, at his sides. A brow was perched high on his forehead, as though daring the man to challenge him.

"I don't know them by names," the man said quickly. "Sir," he added after a beat.

"What, you want me to call up the 'menu' and point her out?" Riddick asked slowly. The man nodded, a jerky, hurried movement that almost made Riddick laugh. Almost. He obliged the servant, who then ushered him down a series of hallways, shelves lining the walls floor to ceiling.

"Here it is, sir," he said quietly, pointing to a small metal box. Riddick extracted it from its resting place, blowing the dust into a cloud in the air. The servant coughed.

"You got the key?" The servant nodded, that quick, seizure-like nod, and led him back down the hallway. Riddick read him the number on the box, and he fished through a cabinet of keys, finally producing one and handing it to Riddick with a trembling limb. Riddick snatched it from his bony fingers and grunted. "Just a number to you, huh?" The servant stammered, but Riddick's glare silenced him, and he only stared at the hulking man's back as he stalked from the room.

Riddick paused, just outside the bedroom door, listening to her deep even breathing. _Good, still asleep._ He sighed and plopped into an over stuffed chair, running his fingers over the metal box sitting in his lap. _To snoop or not to snoop,_ he thought, a pensive expression on his face. _Eh, what the hell._ He shrugged and stuck the key into the box, pausing as it squealed loudly with the turn. No change in sounds. He continued, lifting back the hinged lid. A dress was neatly folded, wrapped in a plastic bag, and he undid the seal, running his fingers over the soft material. _Velvet.__ Nice._ He resealed the bag and sat it on the box's lid A simple bracelet, a hairpin much like the ones she now wore, though this looked like it was trimmed in abalone or something of the sort. He shook his head. _Women and their fancy things, _he thought with a mental snicker. He'd never understand it. His eyebrow rose. _Now **that**__is interesting. _He lifted the knife, still in its sheath and turned it over. The sheath was connected to a strap, which looked about the right size to fit around one of her slim thighs. The handle was decorated, though not ornately, with a thin, curling dragon. A gem was placed as it's eyes, and once again he wished he had color vision. His skin tingled at the sound the knife made when drawn from the sheath, and a small smirk played on his lips as he tested its sharpness. He licked his lips, replacing the knife and setting the whole package next to him on the arm of the chair. His face fell at the last remaining item. A small, carved ring. _Fuck._ He glanced at the door, and back to the cold metal object he turned around his finger. _Hell, if they pillage the bodies like I bet they do, I might be able to find her husband's ring for her. _He sighed heavily, quietly replacing the items in the box and locking it, standing and placing the box on the chair.

Her breathing changed the minute he opened the door, no longer deep and measured, but quick and shallow. He paused, once again just a silhouette in the doorframe, and she sat up slowly.

"You okay?" he asked quietly. She nodded slowly. For some reason, every time he spoke she got the urge to clear her throat. He stood there for a moment and then shut the door, but she wasn't sure if he'd left or closed it behind him.

"Lights dim," she called softly. The lights rose just enough for her to see without blinding either of them, but his eyes still narrowed. "I didn't know if you were still here," she explained quietly. He sat on the corner of the bed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm sorry." His head turned slightly toward her.

"For what?"

"This morning," she answered quietly. "I don't know what got into me, but you shouldn't have had to see that." She took a breath to continue, but he held a hand up, silencing her.

"You don't ever have to hide anything from me," he said gently. "Don't hold anything back on account of me."

"This is your suite," she protested.

"I don't care. You're living here too. And even if you weren't, I don't want you hiding anything from me." He turned to her, holding her eyes with his own. "Anything." Her eyebrow rose out of surprise. "Got it?" She nodded slowly, and he nodded once before turning back to the wall. An unsettled silence fell over them. She knew something was on his mind, but wasn't sure if she should ask. "There's something in there on the chair for you," he finally said. Her brows furled.

"What, you're buying me things now?" A touch of agitation in her voice.

"Just go look," he said with a sigh. She threw her legs over the side of the bed, adjusting the towel she'd been wearing when he put her back in bed, and reached for his robe, tying it tightly around her waist. He rose as she glanced over her shoulder at him, her hand hovering over the doorknob, and he nodded, following her into the other room.

"What's this?" she asked, picking up the key and turning it between her fingers. He only looked back at her. Her eyes narrowed. "What is it, Riddick?" His eyes closed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat opposite the room from her. A gesture of his hand was meant to encourage her to open it, but she only stared at him until his eyes opened again so she could send him a look. She sat slowly, still eyeing him as she placed the box in her lap. His jaw clenched as she turned the key and flipped the lid open, the breath leaving her in an audible sigh. "Riddick," she said, her tone slightly scolding, hands shaking as she removed the bagged dress. She slid the garment from its bag and shook it out, running her fingers over the embroidery. He watched her carefully as she smelled the fabric and the laid it over the arm of the chair. Her hands shook as she extracted the bracelet, slipping it over her hand and onto her wrist before removing it again and returning it to the box. Tears spilled onto her cheek as she lifted the wedding ring, turning it over in her fingers before dropping it with a ping back into the box. Her eyes lifted to Riddick's, and she forced a small smile.

"Is it all there?" he asked gently. She nodded, brushing the tears away with a brush of her fingers.

"Thank you," she whispered. He nodded, standing as she refolded the dress, slipped it back in the bag and placed it all back in the box. She locked it and set it on the floor, folding her hands in her lap, feeling his eyes on her again.

"I'll have the dress cleaned for you," he said quietly, walking to the comm unit.

"Why? I'm not going to wear it," she said slowly. He turned back to her, eyebrow arched. "Riddick, I can't put that stuff back on," she explained, voice still strained. "All of that stuff was what I was wearing when…" she trailed off, lowering her eyes.

"Which is exactly why you're going to wear it tonight." Her head rose again, confusion flashing in her eyes. "All of it," he added.

"What's tonight and why the fuck should I?" she demanded, voice rising angrily. "Why should I have to go back to that night?" She stood slowly, inching toward him. He sighed.

"Look, you were seen that night, right?" She blinked quickly, shaking her head slightly.

"Yeah, so?"

"Trust me, they'll know," he growled. Her eyebrows rose.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" she exclaimed.

"It's Sunday," he said slowly. She gestured for more explanation, and he sighed. _Dumb fuck.__ Like she'd really know. _"Every Sunday all the ranks have a formal dinner. I have to be there, and I want you there with me." The color drained from her face, and she fell back into the chair, her lip trembling.

"I can't do that, Riddick," she whispered, shaking her head slowly.

"You have to," he responded, closing the distance and crouching in front of her. "Listen to me. They'll know that dress. They'll recognize you, and the fact that you'll be with me will send a message."

"And what message would that be?" she asked slowly, voice still trembling.

"That I'll make things right if they fuck with me or mine," he rumbled. Her eyes widened, and she shoved him away from her, standing quickly.

"Let's get one thing straight, Riddick," she snapped. "I am _not_ yours, and if you think you can—" She stopped, suddenly pinned against the wall with a not-so-happy Riddick glaring down at her.

"They think you're mine, and as long as they do, you're safe. Listen to me Sevic. You throw this in their faces and they'll know I'm serious when I warn them not to fuck with me. You get your vengeance, and your stability all in one." She shook her head, eyes still wide with fright. He sighed. "Their ranks don't mean shit to me," he continued. "The fact that I pulled you from that hallway and put you next to me at that table will let them know I don't give a fuck where they are in the hierarchy. If they cross me, I'll kill them." She swallowed. "Can you do that?" Her eyes reflected back to her in his. "For both of us, can you do that?" Her eyes closed, and she sighed.

"Put me down," she demanded quietly. He complied, setting her on her feet gently, still holding her shoulders loosely. Her hands pressed against his chest as she opened her eyes, staring up at him again. One instant she looked exhausted, and the next was nothing but rage as she shoved him away from her and snatched up the box, glaring up at him as she stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door. Again.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sevic flopped onto the bed, running her fingers over the metal box she'd placed in her lap. She circled the lock with a tip of a finger, glancing up at the door when she heard the squawk of the comm unit announcing to the ranks that dinner was in half an hour. She sighed. _It would be nice to see the looks on their faces. _

_ Stop it. _

_ It **would** secure some safety, at least for a little while._

_ Shush._

_ Oh, Christ. Why the hell not? I look damn good in that dress. And what better way to rub their noses in Jason's death. _

_ Fine. But get your ass in gear. _

With cold fingers, she dug through the pocket of Riddick's robe and plucked out the key, turning it over and over in her hand. She closed her eyes, shook her head, and jammed the key in the lock, twisting it and opening the lid. Once again, she removed the dress and ran her fingers over it before shaking it out and laying it flat on the bed. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she slipped off Riddick's robe, walking across the room to hang it on its hook. Her eyes closed as she slipped the dress on, walking to the door and cracking it open slightly.

"Riddick?" She heard him stand. "I need some help in here, if you don't mind," she said slowly. He pushed open the door and paused. "Can you tie up the back of my dress?" He nodded and stepped into the room, watching her straighten and gather her hair over her shoulder, out of his way. Taking a string into each hand, he paused.

"Um.."

"Just like shoes," she said with a touch of a smile. "Not too tight, though," she added quickly. She felt the material pull tightly against her as he tied the bow, just like a shoelace.

"That good?" he asked quietly. She nodded and reached back into the box, slipping the bracelet over her wrist. He watched her gingerly pick up the knife and run her fingers over the detailed hilt. "Nice knife," he commented quietly. She smiled, but it fell quickly as she nodded.

"Think I'll need it?"

"Can't hurt," he said with a small shrug. She nodded and lifted a foot onto the bed, hitching her skirt up to her hip. His breath caught in his throat as she slowly strapped the sheath in place, the knife tucked safely on the outside of her thigh, just where it would be accessible. "What are the gems?" he asked, walking to her other side to gaze at the weapon.

"Selerite," she said quietly. His eyebrow rose. "Like emeralds, but found only on Seleron," she explained, straightening to let the dress fall into place. The burgundy velvet hugged her torso, flaring out slightly at the hips, the square neckline joining sleeves that also flared out at the elbow. He watched her reach out and close the box, his hand darting out to catch her arm as she started to retract. Her eyes shot up to his questioningly.

"You forgot something." She shook her head, holding the hair pin up between them. His brows furrowed, hand releasing her arm. She blinked and went to the mirror, setting the pin between her teeth as she gathered her hair. The box creaked as it opened, but she ignored it. _I'm not,_ she told herself firmly. She twisted her hair around the pin in a quick yet elegant style and looked herself over. _Hurried, but it'll do. _Riddick appeared behind her in the mirror, gazing at her reflection over her shoulder. "You forgot something," he repeated quietly. Her eyes closed.

"I can't," she whispered. She felt his arm wrap around her side, but his hand didn't clutch her as she expected.

"I want them to remember what they did to you," he said, his voice rumbling through her back, bringing goosebumps. She forced her eyes open, focusing on the object he held in front of her. Her eyes met his in the mirror.

"Why?"

"Because they deserve to feel guilty about it."

"They won't," she predicted.

"We'll see, won't we?" Her eyes once again focused on her ring, held delicately between his fingers.

"I can't," she repeated, letting her eyes close again. His free hand found one of hers, twining with her fingers. He bent her arm at the elbow, forcing her hand out, palm up.

"Yes you can," he whispered, dropping the ring into her outstretched hand. She shivered as his breath ruffled over the back of her now bared neck, a tear breaking free as he closed her hand around her ring. He moved away from her quickly, and a chill settled in without the heat of his body so close to hers. Her eyes opened as her hand opened, and she felt him watching her from behind as she slipped it over her finger, twisting it around as she read the words inscribed. _Eschei__ G'nath Igbusthi._Seleron had three official languages. The inscription on her ring was in what had been the fourth, before it had been dropped from the curriculum. Few people had known it, both Sevic and Jason learning it from their grandparents at a young age. Her lips formed the words as she read them, translating in her head: _Love lasts eternally. _She turned to Riddick slowly, dropping her arms to his side.

"Are you ready?" she asked quietly. He nodded, gesturing for her to precede him out the door, and she felt him fall into pace behind her. Once outside the main door to the suite, he offered her his arm, and she took it, partly because she didn't want to feel as alone as she knew she would in that dining hall, and partly because she wasn't sure her legs would carry her the whole way.

The closer they got, the more rapid her breaths grew. Her face flushed as they appeared at the top of the grand staircase, the room below bustling with activity as people mingled before filing into the dining hall. Her fingers tightened on his arm, and he moved his other arm, lacing his fingers into hers as they descended the stairs. The bustling stopped, and she couldn't count the number of eyes she felt on her. As they took the last two steps, the crowd parted and they walked right through the middle, leading the crowd, now whispering in hushed tones, into the dining hall. Riddick took his place at the head of the table, nodding to Lord Vaako as he passed. Sevic was seated at Riddick's right side, the seat next to her empty. Lord Vaako sat across from her, on Riddick's left side, and next to him was Dame Vaako, who was now staring openly, eyes blatantly hateful, at Sevic. Sevic only stared back until the snake glanced away. As the rest of the crowd was seated, Riddick reached under the table and gave Sevic's knee a gentle squeeze, smiling slightly at her. She found herself returning it, though she didn't know why. The room was silent, save the noises of moving chairs and shifting dresses, until everyone was seated and the servants began bringing out the meals.

Sevic tried to calm the tremors in her hand as she reached for her water, Riddick's hand settling lightly on her knee again. She couldn't prevent her hand from moving to clutch his tightly, and he squeezed back, as if telling her to calm down, that everything was fine. She stole a glance at him, and he was already looking at her, his face calm but his eyes concerned. She forced a small, timid smile, and his eyebrow rose as his fingers spun the ring on her finger. _Right, _she reminded herself. _Show it off. _She nodded once and moved his hand to the knife resting against her thigh, silently telling her not to push. His eyes smiled at her, and he turned his attention back to the question Vaako had just asked him. She listened in to the seemingly superficial conversation, noting that Dame Vaako was staring at her again. Sevic's eyes met the Dame's and an eyebrow rose.

"Forgive me, Lady…" Dame Vaako trailed off, raising her eyebrows.

"Sevic."

"Right," Vaako continued in her uppity tone. "Your dress is quite unique," she commented, her voice dripping with artificial sugar. "May I ask how you came to possess it?" Sevic's eyebrow arched. "I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it." From the corner of her eye, Sevic saw Riddick's eyes flicker to the Dame and back to her before returning to Lord Vaako. Sevic let a flattered smile play on her lips.

"It was a gift, actually," Sevic answered, running her finger around the rim of her water goblet slowly. _Wonder if it's real crystal_. "Where I come from," she continued, watching her hand as her finger dipped back into the water, "the groom's mother provides the bride with the dress." She punctuated the statement with another bout of rim-running, this time drawing a sound. Vaako's eyes fell to her hand quickly as the tone vibrated through the room, Sevic's finger continuing even as people turned to watch. "I don't really know where or if you could buy a dress like mine, since the store my mother-in-law bought it was on Seleron." The tone from Sevic's goblet stopped suddenly as Vaako's eyes rose to hers. "Seeing how Seleron now ceases to exist, I'm not really sure where I could direct you," she added with a small, seemingly innocent shrug. _I'm not sure you have the chest for it, either, darling,_ she added mentally, the thought only spurring her small smile on. She glanced at Riddick as another thought came to her, the tiny smirk tugging at the corners of his lips urging her to go with it. "And besides, Dame Vaako," Sevic purred, "I doubt you'd want to be seen in a dress someone else has already been seen in. You're much too glamorous for that, aren't you?" Sevic asked, her eyes willing Vaako to answer the question.

"How silly of me," Vaako answered, her own smirk returning. "It's a beautiful dress, really," she continued. "But you're right. I'd rather not be seen in something you've already debuted." Her eyes narrowed, and Sevic caught the implication. The quiet growl indicated Riddick had gotten the message as well, and he turned his silvery stare on the Dame, his eyes narrowing slightly. Dame Vaako only arched her eyebrow and shrugged, reaching for her water. "It'd be disgraceful of me to try to mimic the Lord Marshall's lady," she added quickly. Thankfully for all involved, the servants had worked their way to the end of the table, always starting at the end opposite the Lord Marshall so he could be sure his dinner guests were taken care of, and the meal silenced most conversations. Sevic looked down into her plate, a hand pressing into her belly to suppress the grumble threatening. With her left hand, she plucked up the inside fork and began eating quietly, watching the Vaakos' eyes flit back and forth between the sparse conversation, their meals, each other, Riddick, and her ring. She almost choked on her steak when Riddick's fingers flicked the knife on her thigh.

"Lady Sevic, may I ask for your company tomorrow afternoon?" Dame Vaako asked suddenly. Sevic's eyes met hers and her eyebrow rose slowly, deliberately. "I've been so bored lately with my husband's seemingly unending chores," she continued, rolling her eyes over to Lord Vaako, whose jaw clenched. "He's always gone and I'm always lonely. I'd love for you to come visit with me. Perhaps we could do some shopping or even take a trip to one of the ships that has a spa?" Riddick's hand on her knee again, squeezing gently.

"I'll have to discuss my schedule with the Lord Marshall later on," Sevic dodged. Riddick's hand tightened almost painfully, but it didn't show on Sevic's face. "I'll be sure to let you know once we get a moment to ourselves." Dame Vaako's head cocked to the side, but she recovered quickly and nodded. Lord Vaako leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and she glanced at him sharply before violently spearing a hunk of steak quickly. Sevic almost laughed, but quickly caught herself. She felt Riddick's eyes questioning her, but didn't glance his way, just pretending to be too preoccupied with her own meal.

After everyone was finished and had resumed conversation, the servants reappeared and cleared the plates, turning up all of the coffee cups in their saucers before carting the dirty dishes away. _Must be dessert, too,_ Sevic thought with a mental smirk. Moments later, she glanced toward the other end of the table, her mouth watering at the sight of the dessert being served. Before the drool could start forming strings from her jaws, she returned her attention to Riddick and Vaako's conversation. Good thing for Dame Vaako Sevic was left alone to enjoy her dessert in peace. _Mighta__ had to have gutted the bitch if she'd interrupted me and my chocolate affair,_ Sevic thought with a small smile, setting her fork down on her empty dessert plate. Riddick caught her hand under the table and pulled gently on her arm as he leaned toward her.

"You gonna be able to dance after all that chocolate?" he asked, a smile in his voice. "Play along, remember?" She let a smile break on her lips as his lips planted a soft kiss on the side of her neck and winked at him as he pulled away. Dame Vaako had watched the exchange, Sevic knew, but was acting like she'd not even noticed. Servants opened the doors, and the Lords and Ladies stood. Riddick offered Sevic his arm once again, and she took it, letting him escort her out of the dining hall and into the grand entrance, where the musicians had gathered and started to play before the doors to the dining hall opened to the sound. _Fucker didn't tell me there was a god damn dance_, Sevic thought, groaning inwardly but smiling politely outwardly. _I hate dancing. _


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sevic stood by Riddick's side as Lords and Ladies milled around, once again mingling, every now and then stealing a glance at them. Riddick merely stood there, glancing around the room, watching people watch him. _Us_, he told himself. _They're watching us. _Actually they were watching Sevic, wondering who she was and where she came from. Recognition passed over some Lords' faces, and she felt dirty when it happened, but she pushed the thought away. She was in a better position now, concerning both safety and social status. Absentmindedly, she spun the ring on her finger, just as she always had when she was nervous. It'd bothered her the first few days she didn't have it, actually, and she didn't know what to do when she was nervous. She tugged on the crook of Riddick's elbow she still held, and he bent toward her.

"I thought this was supposed to be a function where people dance, not just stand around and talk," she commented quietly.

"It is." Her eyebrow rose. "They're waiting," he explained.

"For what?"

"Us."

"What? Why?"

"They always wait for the Lord Marshall to act first," he said with a shrug.

"That's dumb," she snickered.

"You should have seen it last Sunday," he said with a small chuckle. "I didn't exactly feel like doing anything but getting drunk, so no one danced. Just walked around and mingled, waiting for me to do something." She smiled, shaking her head. "Do you –"

"No," she interrupted quickly. "Let them walk." Riddick glanced down at her.

"I was just going to ask you if you wanted a drink," he said slowly. She laughed, then nodded. He leaned down, gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and walked away. She sighed. _He's playing along, Sevic,_ she scolded herself. _Both of our lives are now a public charade. Just chill out._ She clasped her hands together, spinning her ring again.

"Lady Sevic." She turned, just in time to see Lord Vaako bow.

"Lord Vaako," she returned, nodding her head slightly. She glanced around quickly, and he followed her gaze. Dame Vaako was otherwise occupied with another Lady. _Probably talking about dresses,_ Sevic thought with a smirk. _If it's not fashion, she's not interested. _Her attention returned to the man standing next to her, still gazing at the milling crowd.

"I didn't know you'd been married," he commented quietly. Her eyes met his quickly. "If I'd known…" he trailed off as he averted her eyes, rocking on his feet, hands clasped appropriately behind his back.

"You didn't," Sevic returned equally as quietly. "Apology accepted." His eyes returned to hers, and she forced a small smile, which he mirrored.

"I'm glad you've found favor with the Lord Marshall," he continued. "He'll be good to you." Her eyebrow rose.

"He'll be good to me or for me?" she asked. He smiled again.

"Both." She nodded, turning her attention back to the crowd. "I noticed your ring has an inscription on it," he continued. "If you don't mind my asking…"

"Eschei G'nath Igbusthi," she said quietly, the words rolling off her tongue gracefully. It was a language slightly guttural, but still beautiful when spoken correctly.

"Love lasts forever," Lord Vaako said quietly. Her head snapped back to him, but he only smiled.

"Eternally," she corrected, a smile growing on her lips as well.

"We were all something else once," Vaako said, nodding to her before turning away. She blinked, jumping as Riddick's arm appeared with a drink. He transferred the glass to her hand and glanced down at her.

"You okay?"

"Vaako's Seleronian," she said quietly.

"He's what?"

"Yeah," Sevic sighed. "That's what I thought."

"How do you know?" She held her hand out, catching the light with her ring. "What's it say?"

"Eschei G'nath Igbusthi," she said, her eyes never leaving his. He blinked. "Love lasts eternally," she translated. "He got the dialect wrong, but he couldn't have known it unless his grandparents taught it to him or something."

"Why's that?"

"It's a dead language," Sevic explained with a shrug. "Only the old Seleronians knew it before it was destroyed." She grimaced, swallowing a sip of whatever it was Riddick had gotten for her. "Now the only people that know it are the people that happened to learn it from their grandparents, which weren't many, and survived the invasion and didn't lose it in the cleansing."

"You didn't lose it," he said.

"I was never cleansed," she returned quickly, lowering her voice. "I was taken straight to the, um." She stopped, eyeing the people around them. "Anyway." Riddick nodded. "He remembered or learned it somewhere else," she finished quietly.

"Did he ask you to dance?"

"What?" Sevic looked up at him quickly.

"Did he ask you to dance," Riddick repeated. She shook her head slowly. "Well," he said, setting his glass down and taking hers from her as well. "Shall we?" He offered his arm, but she only looked at him. His eyebrows rose.

"I don't dance, Riddick," she said firmly. He sighed, dropping his arm.

"Do you really want to turn down the Lord Marshall in front of so many people?" he asked, a playful gleam in his eye. She took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

"Keep in mind that I _am_ armed," she said quietly, her voice low in her throat. He grinned.

"Is that supposed to be a warning or a turn on?" he asked, slipping a hand around her waist. She stood her ground, and his smile fell. "Oh, come on," he chided. "I'm a really good dancer."

"I'm not," she retorted flatly.

"Do you really want to make them stand around and watch us for the second Sunday in a row?" She sighed. "Please?" He stuck his lower lip out, and she frowned, finally reaching up to pinch it gently between her thumb and forefinger. Shock registered on his face, and she smiled.

"Fine," she sighed. "But you step on my toes even once and I'll—"

"You'll what?" he challenged, leading her out to the floor. Lords and Ladies gathered around the floor, watching the couple through the first song.

"Do they just watch or what?" she asked quickly, glancing over his shoulder at the faces peering at them.

"Just for the first one," he answered. "Weren't you just threatening me though?" Her eyebrow rose. "I want to know what you'll do if I do step on your toes." He paused, smirking. "Even once."

"Don't push me, Riddick," she warned, her eyes sparkling back at him.

"Or what?"

"I'm armed." His hand tightened on her back, drawing her close to him as he led her around the floor.

"That just makes you even sexier," he whispered against her ear. She chuckled, digging her fingers into the back of his neck as she rested her cheek against his shoulder. The song finally ended, and after the Lords and Ladies clapped, Riddick and Sevic were no longer alone on the floor, much to Sevic's approval. "Listen to me carefully," Riddick said quietly, close enough to her ear to keep anyone from eavesdropping. "The Vaakos smell funny to me."

"I coulda told you that," Sevic quipped. "She wears too much perfume and he doesn't wear enough." Riddick's shoulder shook with his silent chuckle.

"I'm serious. There's something off about them," he insisted, but the smile remained, both on his face and in his voice. "If they ever give you the opportunity to spend time with them, take them up on it and find out what you can without being nosy enough to call attention to it," he instructed.

"So you're telling me we've discussed my going to Lady Vaako's and you've decided I'm going to," she deduced.

"No, I've instructed you to. What you end up doing is your call." He paused, and she lifted her head to look at him. "But you _should_." She studied his face for a moment, watching him do the same, and finally nodded.

"So if Vaako asks me to dance?" She could have sworn Riddick winced.

"Just know that I'll be watching if you choose to," he said slowly.

"Is that a threat?" she asked, arching her eyebrow, though her lips tugged into a smirk.

"Only if he tries anything."

"And if I try something?" she pressed. He blinked, and she grinned, resting her head on his shoulder again.

"You're evil," Riddick chuckled.

"You're awfully possessive of a simple whore like myself," she whispered, the smile falling from her face.

"You're not a whore," he countered.

"Still possessive," she insisted. He paused, not only in speaking, but in his movements as well. He seemed to have picked up on the tension in her voice. She let out a breath as he started dancing again.

"Not possessive. Protective," he corrected. She nodded, letting it drop.

"I do have a serious question," she said slowly. He nodded. "If you want me to spend all the time I can with the Vaakos to do some digging," she paused, taking a breath to calm herself. "What if he, um, wants to see me when his wife isn't there?" she asked, hoping he'd catch the implication.

"I'll be the clingy lover," he answered.

"Lover?"

"That's what they all think," he said with a shrug. "You're staying in my quarters, sitting to my right at dinner, getting first dance." She nodded. "What they don't know won't hurt them," he added. This time, she sensed the tension in his voice. She lifted her head again, staring up at him. His eyes followed her tongue as it darted out to wet her lips, his fingers tightening slightly on the small of her back.

"And you want what they think to be true," she assumed. He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"What I want doesn't matter right now," he said quietly. She tilted her head to the side. "And I hate it when you do that," he added with a soft chuckle. "I just want you safe, Sevic. I can't explain why. But if I have to suffer through events like this with you at my side looking and smelling and feeling this good, I can." She smiled. "After all, I've got a shower. Can always take care of things myself, you know." Her smile turned into a grin, and she shook her head. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love," he added gently. She nodded.

"That's the past, though," she said with an uncomfortable sigh.

"If you're not over it, you're not over it," he returned with a small shrug.

"It's been almost eleven years, Riddick," she said, her eyes growing sad. "I never mourned him properly, but it's over and done now." His eyes searched hers. "I'll always miss him, and I'll always love him." She sighed, dropping her head back to his shoulder.

"So what are you saying?" Riddick asked after a beat.

"I don't know." He took a breath and paused, glancing down at what he could see of her face.

"If and when you decide what you want to do, do it," he said gently.

"So what are _you_ saying?" she asked, deliberately using his exact words.

"I'm saying that you know I want you, and if and when you decide you want me, and I mean that if, by the way, you make the first move," he answered.

"What if you change your mind before I decide?" she pressed.

"I doubt I will, judging from what's in this room." Her head lifted, and he made a show of looking around the dance floor. "Doesn't seem anyone else measures up," he said with a shrug, focusing once again on her.

"How long have you known me?" she asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Doesn't matter," he said quickly, shaking his head. "I'm an excellent judge of character." Her eyebrow rose, and he just smirked that tiny, annoying little barely-there smirk he'd perfected. She couldn't help but laugh. "And besides," he added with a shrug. "Don't take this the wrong way, but it's not like it'd be the first time, you know?" She sighed, dropping her forehead to the middle of his chest. "You took it the wrong way like I told you not to," he said quickly. She chuckled.

"No, it's not that," she said, lifting her head again, unable to hide the smile from the thought that just ran through her head. His eyebrow rose, head tilting to the side. "You hate it when I do that and you do it back to me, huh?" His eyebrow rose, so she tilted her head, mocking him. He grinned. "I was just thinking that it would be very different if I was a willing partner." His smile fell. "So it wouldn't be the first time for me to be with you, but it would _definitely_ be the first time for you to be with me." She blinked. "I didn't follow that, did you?" He chuckled, nodding slowly.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were flirting with me," he said quietly, glancing down at her lips quickly. She shrugged.

"Maybe it's just that Dame Vaako's been watching us for a while and, you know, play along and all…" She watched his smile fall suddenly, quirking her eyebrow as she smirked. "Point for me," she commented quietly. He sighed. "Well, Vaako's really been watching us, but, um, it's suddenly very warm in here as I dig myself deeper and deeper." He laughed, pulling her against his chest again. "How long does this shindig last anyway?"

"Until we leave." She sighed.

"So they just wait for whatever the Lord Marshall does, huh?"

"They might stay after we leave, but it's officially over when we leave."

"So it's not okay to dance until we dance, and it's not okay for them to leave until we leave." He nodded. "What if they have to pee or something?" She wasn't expecting the roar of laughter, but no one else seemed to pay it much mind, so she joined in, though a little more quietly.

"Are you ready to go or something?"

"Well, here's the situation. My feet are killing me, and I really have to pee. But if you don't want to leave yet, I'm a little worried they might get the wrong impression if I leave and then they start leaving and realize 'Oh wait. The Lord Marshall's still here. We can't leave yet.' And then I get back and everyone _knows_ I just had to pee, and that's sorta like walking around with toilet paper attached to the bottom of your shoe." Riddick's shoulders were shaking so hard she thought he'd knock both of them over, and she barely contained her laughter long enough to explain her dilemma. When he'd managed to gather himself, he stepped away from her and took her hand, leading her off the floor. She watched, and people continued dancing, though they watched the couple intently. He led her back to where he'd set their drinks and stood, just smiling down at her and shaking his head as he reached for his glass. She took it from his hands on the way to his lips and shook her head, setting it back on a table. He blinked, and then realized, nodding quickly.

"If you're ready, my Lady," Riddick said with a bow. She smiled, taking his arm again as he led her to the staircase. Once they got to the top of the stairs and behind a massive statue, she stopped, pulling her hand from his arm. He stopped as well, turning back to her, and chuckling as she ripped her shoes from her feet, popped her ankles, and took his arm again.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sevic sighed and collapsed against the door she'd just pulled shut. Riddick glanced over at her, and she let out a growl as she chucked her shoes across the room, stifling a snicker as he ducked, even though they were miles from him. He glanced at her again and chuckled.

"Didn't like those shoes, then, huh?" he asked playfully. She openly pouted.

"I hate playing dress up," she whined. His eyebrow rose. "Even when I was a kid, I just wanted to wear fatigues and a beater and play in the mud." Riddick laughed, shaking his head as the image formed.

"Tomboy, huh?" She nodded, pushing away from the door to gather her shoes.

"Had to dress up and dance for the wedding, dress up and dance for the inauguration, dress up and dance for the speeches," she grumbled. Riddick's brows furled as she flopped on the bed. "I look better in pants," she finally huffed, blowing a stray curl out of her eyes.

"I'm not going to say what I'm thinking," Riddick mumbled to himself.

"I know what you're thinking." He turned to her, pausing in unbuttoning his shirt.

"Really."

"Yes, really," she said, overacting her agitation. He couldn't help but smile. "You were thinking that I look better naked." He shrugged, returning his attention to his buttons. "And you're right," she said after a pause, tucking her arms behind her head. "I do look better naked." She chuckled at herself, but her smile fell slowly. "Save the scars, but hey. At least I don't have cellulite, right?"

"Scars are something to be proud of, Sevic," he said gently, shrugging the shirt from his shoulders. She turned her head toward him.

"Why's that?"

"'Cause you survived whatever gave them to you." She nodded once, then turned her gaze back up to the ceiling.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she finally said. "Survived the hacks in the med-bay that took out my junk, and I survived Bitch Vaako after she found out her hubby called for me more often than she thought." Riddick grimaced. "Someone needs to teach that whore how to hold a fucking knife," she snickered.

"Are you drunk?" Riddick asked slowly.

"No," she answered quickly. "But I wouldn't mind getting that way," she added coyly, making a show of looking him up and down.

"You're flirting with me again," he drawled, adding a slight warning tone to his words. She shrugged.

"You started it," she scoffed.

"Did I?" A quick nod. "When?"

"After dessert," she said with a small smile.

"Sevic, that was—"

"That was what?" she interrupted, sitting up on the bed and smoothing out her dress. "That was you playing along?" Her eyes lifted to his, eyebrow quirked. "Ouch."

"No, I didn't mean—"

"I know. Shut up," she said quickly, smirking up at him as she stood. He sighed, shaking his head. "Let me guess. You don't know what to think of me now that I've finally opened up and… what was it you said?" She walked to his side, turning his face toward her. "Relax?" Recognition flashed in his eyes as he recalled when he'd used that word with her, his brows furling. She shook her head, smiling lightly as she planted a kiss on his cheek and left the room, calling on the closet light. He stared after her, watching the light go off again before she emerged in a long nightgown. Nothing fancy, just a nightgown. "Do we have a vid screen or anything?" His eyebrow rose. "God, you really don't know what to think of me, do you? Can't even answer." She shook her head, clicking her tongue. "I'm not tired yet. Do we have a vid screen?" He nodded, finally finding his feet to turn the thing on. She sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with her fingers as he turned back to her. "I had a good time tonight, Riddick," she said softly, slowly turning to look up at him.

"Did you." The challenge voice.

"Yeah, surprisingly I did," she said with a nod.

"Ouch." He held his face in check for a moment, and seeing the concern on her face, let the smile slip into place. Her eyes narrowed.

"Ass." He shrugged, stepping into the closet. She was still sitting on the bed fidgeting with her fingers when he emerged. "You surprised me," she said quietly, checking her balance as he sat on the other side of the bed.

"How?"

"How long did you leave your drink on that table?" He sighed, shaking his head.

"I know. Don't break my balls over it, okay?" She laughed quietly, and felt him turn.

"I didn't know it was actually possible to break them," she said with a smile, letting it fall as she turned her eyes back to him. "Poison is popular here," she informed him. "Especially with the Ladies. And with a woman on your arm, you're more likely to get it from one of them."

"Vaako?" She shrugged noncommittally. "I turned her down, and not very nicely." Sevic smiled. "I'm usually not that unguarded."

"You can't be that unguarded, Riddick," she said with a sigh, falling onto her back and scooting under the covers – on the left side of the bed. "You've got the biggest bulls eye on your ass out of anyone on this ship right now."

"That's why I keep you around." She smiled. "Here." She let out a strangled 'ugh' as the vid screen remote landed on her stomach.

"What, you're not a remote Rambo type?" He snickered. "Guess not." She started flipping through channels, glancing at him just sitting there, his back still to her. After finding something that would pass for entertainment, she reached out to settle a hand on his shoulder and pull him backward, his head resting in her lap. He shifted for a few moments, and she picked up the remote again, her free hand tracing imaginary patterns on his side.

"You told me Dame Vaako's not a threat to you," he finally said. She glanced down at him quickly before turning her attention back on the vid screen.

"She's not."

"She left a mark," Riddick pressed.

"She also got a lesson on how people really can defend themselves against an armed nitwit without a weapon," Sevic said without expression. Riddick smiled.

"I like you better with a weapon," he said slyly, taking her hand in his. He'd never let her know her feather-light touches tickled.

"That's only because you're a sick, twisted fuck that gets turned on by gorgeous women with knives strapped to their thighs." He chuckled.

"I think that's the first time anyone's said that to me and not pissed me off."

"Only because it's true," she quipped.

"What can I say?" She sighed, clicking the vid screen off and tossing the remote onto a nearby chair. "Nothing on?"

"Is there ever anything on?"

"Probably not," he said with a shrug. "So you know how to hold a knife, huh?"

"Darlin', I know how to _make_ a knife," she said quietly. He looked up at her.

"Really."

"Yes sir," she answered. "My dad taught me when I was really little." Riddick's eyebrow rose. "He made the one I carried tonight, actually," she continued. "For my sixteenth birthday."

"What's it made of?"

"Stainless steel dipped in titanium. Antiqued to bring out the dragon, and set with Selerite for the eyes," she answered quietly.

"Ever use it?"

"Yup." She waited for him to ask, but he didn't, so she glanced down at him. He was staring at her hand on his chest. "You scare me, Riddick." He blinked, as though she struck a chord in him.

"Why?"

"You're the first man that's touched me and not hurt me since Jason," she said, proud of herself for not letting her voice waver. She took a breath and paused, letting it out slowly.

"No one's ever going to touch you and hurt you, understand?" The threat in his voice shook her nerves, and she smiled slightly as she nodded. He sat up, stretching his arms over his head and she watched the play of his muscles under his skin. Her eyes followed him as he stood, carrying one of the pillows in his hand.

"Riddick?"

"Night, Sevic," he said softly, smiling at her.

"Don't sleep on the floor," she said slowly. His eyebrow rose. "And don't give me the fucking eyebrow!" she exclaimed suddenly, grinning. He held his hands up, still holding the pillow. "God, you're aggravating." A simple shrug. She sighed. "Seriously. I don't want you to sleep on the floor."

"Why?"

"Because I'm scared I'll have to pee in the middle of the night and accidentally step on you," she said sarcastically. His eyebrow rose again, and she pointed a finger at him in warning. He laughed, shaking his head. "This bed is too big for one person, especially considering I tend to stick to one side. Just—" She sighed. "Don't sleep on the floor." He shrugged and tossed his pillow back to the head of the bed as he walked around to the side.

"What do you have against the floor?"

"Nothing," she said, burrowing under the covers. He cast her a sideways glance, which didn't go unnoticed, as he pulled back his side of the covers and crawled under them. He called the lights off and they both shifted under the sheets for a while, backs facing each other, until the room was silent. Both could tell from the other's breathing that neither was asleep, and she finally flopped onto her other side, staring at the back of his head. She reached out, feeling for his arm, and he turned, his expression quizzical. A smile touched her lips and she scooted closer to him as he rolled onto his back, lifting his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled against his side. "You're warm," she commented quietly.

"98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, usually." He smiled as she landed a light blow to his belly. "You smell good," he noted, turning his head to sniff at her hair. "What is that?"

"Jasmine." He nodded. "I've never actually seen a jasmine plant, if they actually exist, but I like the smell."

"What does your name mean?" Riddick asked. She glanced up at him.

"It means Little Fire."

"Little fire?"

"Yeah," she said with a small nod. "I always got in trouble when I was little. Mom said I always ran around like someone lit a fire in my pants. But they named me that because when I was born, there was a small fire in the hospital lobby." Riddick chuckled. "Someone left the microwave on a little too long." She shifted against his side, and he heard something pop.

"What was that?"

"My hip." Riddick shook his head. "What's your name mean?"

"I have no idea," he said with a sigh, wrapping one of her curls around his finger.

"What language is it?"

"Furian, I'm guessing. I don't know though." He felt her blink. "I don't know much about my early years, if you catch my drift." She nodded against him, watching her fingers splay out across his chest. _God, he's massive._

"I've heard the stories about Furians," she said quietly. "And you definitely fit the description."  
"Do I." The challenge voice again. She nodded, pressing her lips to the side of his neck. His fingers paused in their playing with her hair. "What was that for?"

"I felt like it," she said with a shrug. "You smell good," she said with a smile. "What is that?"

"Essence of Riddick," he answered quietly, smirking in the darkness.

"I like it," she said, leaning forward again, this time catching his skin lightly between her teeth. His groan rumbled in his chest.

"Playin' with fire," he warned. She smiled and repeated the action just under the crook of his jaw. "You leave a mark and I'll have questions to answer tomorrow," he grumbled, though he turned his head to give her better access. She smiled, noticing the movement, and reached up to turn his head back to her, her lips slowly working a trail to his. She bit his lower lip gently before reaching her target, throwing a leg over his waist to sit on his stomach as she kissed him. She pulled away slowly, resting her forehead against his as their breaths mingled between them.

"This is me making the first move," she said quietly, opening her eyes to stare into liquid silver. He smiled.

"Is it?" he asked tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Just wanted to make sure we're clear," she said, winking before attacking his lips again. Another groan vibrated through him, the sensation rumbling under her chosen seat as his hands slid up her legs to her hips. One was interrupted, and he broke the kiss, pulling away to look at her. She let her eyebrow twitch upward as she pulled her nightgown over her head, watching his eyes slide down her body and focus on the knife still strapped to her thigh.

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Consider it a garter for a serial killer's lover," she said slyly, a small smile playing on her lips. His eyes still shifted between the knife and her face, and his suspicion finally sunk in. She sighed. "I didn't think you'd take it as a threat," she muttered, reaching for the buckle. His hand shot out to intercept her, and she glanced up at him as she felt him work the buckle loose and pull it from her thigh. "Riddick –"

"Shh." He pulled her face down to his lips again, planting a kiss in the middle of her forehead. "I doubt very seriously you're careless enough to strap on a knife and then make a move on me," he said, laying kisses along her collarbone. She smiled, running her hands over his head, marveling in the prickling sensation burning her skin.

"Once again, I'm the first one completely nude," she chuckled quietly.

"You can fix that, you know," Riddick chided. She didn't respond, instead starting her own exploration of his body. He let out a moan when she clamped her teeth down on a nipple, pulling slightly before swirling her tongue around it and repeating the action on the other. "Biter, huh?" She answered with another patch of skin between her teeth, and he smiled. "Do you take it as well as you give it?" He felt her smile against his stomach and made a mental note. Her lips attended to his stomach, following the ripples of muscle as she scooted down his body, taking his shorts and the comforter with her and dumping the garment off the foot of the bed. Her eyes still hadn't completely adjusted to the darkness, so she mapped with her hands, running them lightly over his skin. He sucked in a breath as her hair brushed against him. "Don't bite that," he warned, suddenly serious.

"Wouldn't dream of it," she said, grinning as he gave her a deep, gravelly groan as she ran her tongue up his length. Her lips worked back up to his, and he buried his hands in her hair, holding her face firmly against his as he rolled them over. "You got control issues?" she asked finally, his lips leaving hers to nip at the skin on her shoulder. He paused, glancing up at her, taking in her sly smirk. His eyebrow rose slowly, and she shoved one of his shoulders, forcing him onto his back. He began to protest, but her lips covered his as she lowered herself onto him, his muffled words slurring into a groan as she rocked against him. She smiled against his lips triumphantly, breaking their kiss as she increased her pace, tilting her head back. His lips assaulted her neck, and she shuttered, groaning as his teeth dug into her shoulder. He sat up, rhythm unbroken as he pressed her against his chest, smiling as her nails dug into his skin, his fingers repeating the action to increase the pace. She whimpered, and he started to twist them to wrestle her onto her back, but she shook her head, whispering, "no," insistently. He grunted as she rolled her hips against his, burying her face into his neck as her breath blasted onto his damp skin. His tongue swirled around her earlobe, and she turned her head into it, pressing her cheek against his and gasping as he scraped his teeth over it. Her back arched, pulling away from him, simultaneously granting him access as she neared the edge, her lip caught firmly between her teeth. His tongue ran a lazy circle around a nipple, and she whimpered, crying out as he bit down gently, and he felt her fall over that cliff into nothing but sensation. His grip tightened on her to keep her from slipping away from him as the waves crashed over her, pulling her back to him as she slowed, her whole body trembling. Her arms hung limply over his shoulders, nipples grazing his chest as her breath heaved, forehead resting on a shoulder. She sighed, finally chuckling lightly as she slowly maneuvered her legs around his waist, pulling his hips tighter to hers. Her head lifted, and she pressed her lips lightly to his, feeling him smile against her as she twisted, flopping onto her back, legs still clutching around him.

He moved slowly after a moment, unsure of whether she was ready for more yet or not, but her back arched, her teeth sinking into his lip as she groaned. He paused, not sure what that meant, but her hips lifted, grinding against his, and he took it as encouragement, starting slowly and building quickly. Her hips met his halfway, her hands running rapidly up and down his back. She wrenched her lips away from his, staring up at him with a hungry shine in her eye before letting her head fall back as her back arched again. He felt the heat rise, the twisting in his belly, and his head dropped, forehead resting on her sternum as she shuddered, lifting her head to kiss a spot on his shoulder before digging her teeth in. That clenched it, and he lost it with a loud grunt, feeling her grip him in a rapid rhythm as her hands tightened on his arms. He relaxed against her, her spasms continuing, but slowing gradually. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly, dropping a kiss on the top of his head before letting her head fall back into the pillows. She moaned, hips rising as he lifted away from her, pulling from her grasp. He settled on his side next to her, cradling her against him, his body molding to her back. She smiled listlessly as his lips pressed to her shoulder, snuggling back against him.

"G'night, Riddick," she whispered. He mumbled something against her skin, giving her a light squeeze. Sleep was too close to wait for a real response, and she gave in.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_What the fuck is wrong with you? _

Riddick stared down at the sleeping woman on her stomach next to him, shaking his head slightly as a small smile touched his lips. The dark sheet was draped artfully over her lower half, dark hair twisting and curling halfway down her back, the darkness of both setting off her light skin.

_Carolyn would be proud._

_What?!_

_ Rejoined the human race, even though I didn't know how._ Riddick sighed, laying back onto the pillows, staring up at the ceiling for a moment. She mumbled something in her sleep, shifting slightly, her hair cascading over one side to leave more skin exposed.

_You're thinking with the wrong head, Dicky boy. Gettin' yourself deeper in trouble. _

_ Shut the fuck up._

He turned his head, looking back at Sevic, sleeping peacefully next to a killer. He never understood that. Jack – Kyra – whoever she was had done the same thing back on that skiff, once the power got low enough to shut off all systems except life support and the drifter engine. Just curled up at his side and conked out. He'd expected she'd have nightmares, but if she did they weren't violent enough to be visible. And once again, just the thought of her brought back the mental picture of her lying dead in the floor. He shook his head and stood slowly, careful not to wake her by shaking the bed. Silently, he dressed and left the room, shutting the door behind him with only the small beep signaling it locked.

Sevic opened her eyes and sat up, staring at the door. She figured he would have known she was awake, but apparently not. Her eyebrow rose, and she shook her head, standing to stretch before heading into the shower.

"I didn't figure you for the fuck and run type." Riddick's head snapped around, a low growl escaping at his surprise at being surprised. Sevic leaned against the bathroom door, arms crossed over her chest. His eyebrow rose, and her eyes lowered to a spot on the floor.

"Well, for one thing, you figured wrong," Riddick said slowly. Her eyes met his.

"And for another?"

"I didn't," he said with a shrug. "Came back, didn't I?" She cocked her head before walking past him, sitting slowly on the bench at the foot of the bed to pull her shoes on. "You goin' somewhere?"

"Got a date," she said quietly. Riddick scowled. "Dame Vaako, remember?" She lifted her head to look at him for a moment before standing again and walking to the mirror, fussing with tying her hair back.

"Leave it down," he said, walking behind her to pull her hands away from her curls.

"Now you're telling me how to fix my hair?" She turned to face him, placing her hands on her hips.

"I like it better down," he said with a small smile, reaching out to run his fingers through the strands. She pulled away, turning her face from him. "What's wrong with you?"

"I was looking forward to waking up with another warm body in my bed this morning, Riddick," she said coldly, glancing at him before moving toward the door. His eyes closed as he heard it swoosh open. "I guess I expected too much out of you for one night, huh?" He turned to her, watching her glare at him before disappearing behind a slamming door.

"What the fuck just happened?" The room didn't answer him.

Sevic rolled her eyes, lifting her hand to knock again. _Damn it to hell, woman,_ she thought, pounding heavily on the metal door. _If you didn't hear the comm unit, better be **damn** sure you hear a knocking._ Someone called something from behind the doors, and she sighed, shaking her head as bare feet slapped against the floor before it was pulled open to reveal Dame Vaako standing there, eyes wide.

"Sevic," she sputtered, glancing her up and down. "What are you doing here?"

"You invited me, remember?" Sevic asked, tilting her head to the side with an arched brow. "Last night? Dress shopping and a spa treatment?" She hoped the smile she plastered on her face came across as genuine enough to pass for the Lady.

"Oh, right." Vaako looked slightly surprised and even more put out, but opened the door wider and gestured for Sevic to enter. Her hazel eyes glanced around the room quickly as Vaako shut the door behind them. "Just give me a minute to get dressed." Sevic nodded, watching Vaako disappear behind a brightly lit hallway. After living with Riddick for a few days, her eyes protested the strong lighting, and she squinted a little. He'd even had the lights called down for dinner, she recalled. Vaako emerged a few minutes later, her 'I am a Lady, respect me as thus' mask back in place, complete with her snooty smirk. "Did you have a preference for how we spent our time together today or should I plan for both?" Vaako asked, glancing over Sevic quickly before focusing on her face. Sevic stifled a shudder. That woman's glare would unnerve anyone – except Riddick, of course. She checked her fake smile and gave a small shrug.

"I'm sure whatever you'd prefer to do would be fine with me," Sevic answered.

"Well, do you have a dress to wear next week, my Lady?" Vaako asked. Sevic smiled.

"Are you offering me your fashion advice?" Vaako only smiled, still waiting for an answer. "Honestly, Dame Vaako, if you'd like to do both, it's fine with me."

"I wouldn't want to keep the Lord Marshall from his lady," she said, taking Sevic's arm and walking toward the door. Sevic couldn't help but chuckle, and Dame Vaako glanced over at her.

"I'm sure he'll survive without me for a while," she said, this smile real. Vaako smiled, and Sevic wasn't so sure it was such a good thing.

Riddick glanced up as the door beeped it's signal that someone had unlocked the door from the outside. Sevic stumbled in, arms full of bags and boxes, and Riddick couldn't keep the smirk off his face as she dropped them on the floor, kicking the door shut behind her before flopping into a nearby chair.

"Busy day?"

"Remind me to run away the next time Vaako suggests a day of shopping and spa treatments," she sighed, rubbing her forehead as she closed her eyes, finally away from the bright, intrusive lights.

"That bad?" Riddick's voice held a bit of a laugh in it, and it only irritated her further.

"Let's just say I hate it when people insist on playing with my feet." She felt him looking at her, and she cracked an eye open. Spa flops still on, she lifted her feet and wiggled her toes at him. "Pedicure."

"Nice."

"Bite me," Sevic snapped, closing her eye again.

"I thought I did that last night," he said with a shrug. "But if you really want me to…" he trailed off as he stood, getting only two steps before she chuckled and held up a hand to stop him.

"I'm tired."

"I thought the spa was supposed to rejuvenate you," Riddick said, picking up his book and sitting back down.

"Yeah, well. The shopping was bad enough, but add on the irritation of both a manicure _and_ a pedicure – both against my will, might I add – and then a massage to just relax you to death, and you'd be tired too," she said, leaning forward to stare at the heap of bags and boxes she'd dropped. With a grunt, she heaved herself out of the chair and began putting items away, leaving one thing still in its bag.

"What's that?" Riddick asked, pointing to the bagged garment.

"A surprise." His eyebrow rose, and she hung it up in the closet, still in the black bag. "You peek and I'll kill you myself," she threatened, trying not to smile at his light chuckle. He stood behind her now – she felt him – and her eyes closed as he pulled the clip from her hair. She combed her fingers through it. "Why do you like my hair down enough to demand it be that way?" she asked quietly, turning toward him.

"I don't know," he answered with a shrug. Her eyebrow twitched. "There's just something about a woman with long beautiful hair," he continued. "You see all the fancy stuff where their hair's so complicated you're afraid to touch it without messing it up."

"You mean like Vaako?" she asked with a smirk. He smiled, his fingers tangling in her curls again.

"It's better when it's down," he commented quietly. "Less fussy, less civilized."

"So you're saying you're going to throw away all my pins?" she asked, glancing at the collection on the table next to the bed.

"No," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "But you're not going to use them in your hair anymore." She chuckled.

"What am I going to use them for then?"

"Do I care?" Goose bumps rose on her skin as his lips moved against the side of her neck, and she shrugged, sure to catch his chin before walking away. He sighed, following her into the main room, shutting the closet door before sinking onto the bed. She sat at the foot, her legs folded under her as she flipped through the channels on the vid screen. "Did you find anything out from Dame Vaako?" She shook her head. "Nothing."

"If she wasn't fussing over how something fit me, she was in a different room getting her own spa treatment," Sevic explained, eyes still glued to the screen. She found something she liked and set the remote next to her, not noticing him reach for it until he hit the power button, crossing his arms with the remote still in hand. "I was watching that," she said calmly, turning her head toward him.

"I was talking to you."

"And I was answering your questions," she fired back. "You might not be capable, but I can multitask." His eyes narrowed.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" She shook her head, turning back to the black vid screen. "You were pissed at me this morning, for what, I have no idea, and you're either pissed off at me still or again. Which is it?" She shook her head again, staring now at her hands in her lap. She felt the tension radiating from him, but still said nothing. "Will you talk to me?" A heavy sigh. "Please?"

"What do you want from me?" Her voice was quiet, almost timid.

"What?" She repeated the question more firmly. "I don't want anything from you." She turned to him again, brows raised as though she didn't believe him. "I don't know. What makes you think I do want something from you?"

"You never ask. You demand."

"So?"

"So what if I want to be _with_ you and not _belong_ to you?" He blinked, and she sighed.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm not property, Riddick. You automatically assume that just because I want to be with you I want to do whatever you want me to."

"Is this about last night?" he asked, still not sure what she was upset about.

"No!" She stood with the outburst, resorting to pacing the room. "You want me at your side so everyone knows I'm yours and not to mess with either of us. You want me to look a certain way, act a certain way, and play your little 'let's make them think this' games." He stared up at her, brows knitting. "You demand that I go spend time with so-and-so, but if someone else asks there's no discussion." She sighed, stopping her pacing to wrap her arms around her middle. "I'm a person, too, Riddick," she said quietly. "I can make my own decisions."

"I didn't mean…" he trailed off, his mind going into overdrive. "Hell, wear your hair up if you want to," he finally huffed, leaning back against the headboard. She laughed, but he knew it wasn't because she found him funny. "What the fuck do _you _want from _me_?" he finally asked. Her eyes met his.

"I want a life, Riddick," she answered quietly. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If I'm not cooped up in here, I'm out doing recon for you. I don't have a chance to make my own friends."

"You don't want them as friends," he snapped. She paused, mulling that over.

"Take me somewhere I can find people I want as friends." His stare made her rethink the request, but she didn't take it back. "You're the leader of a whole fuckin' armada, Riddick. Take us somewhere I can have a life."

"And what about me?" Riddick asked, before his brain could stop the words.

"What about you?" She ducked, dodging the remote as he hurled it at her, jumping as he slammed the front door. She stared at the shards on the floor, where the shattered remote had landed after it broke against the wall. "Fuck."


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Sevic walked purposefully down the hallway, back toward Dame Vaako's doors. She knew Lord Vaako was out on duty, and that meant Vaako was alone. She tucked away her smirk as she rounded the corner, turning it into her fake smile as Vaako opened the door, her surprise this time held in check.

"Did you need something, Sevic?" she asked sweetly.

"I just wanted to thank you for spending time with me this afternoon, Lady Vaako," Sevic said equally as sweetly, choking back a gag.

"You're more than welcome," Vaako said, the shock showing in her eyes without reaching her face. "Would you like to come in for a drink?" Sevic smiled. _This is too easy, _she thought, smiling as she entered the suite again. "So how is it you and the Lord Marshall met, exactly?" Sevic watched Vaako carefully as her drink was poured, making sure she didn't try anything.

"You don't have to hide your knowledge from me, Dame Vaako," Sevic said, letting a sad smile creep onto her lips. _Good God, this is fun. _"You know where I came from." Vaako nodded. "He gave me a chance to redeem myself in the Necro society," Sevic added with a shrug. "I'd spent so much time alone that I welcomed the opportunity for a second chance at a life." _Too bad it doesn't entail the Necromonger race,_ she thought with a mental snicker. "I'd missed spending time with people."

"Do you remember your life before you came here?" Vaako asked, handing Sevic a glass. She took a sip. Cranberry and tonic. Nice.

"My husband was a Councilmember," she said quietly. "He was killed in the battle." Vaako flinched, but hid it quickly as Sevic shrugged. "I loved him for the first few years, but the more involved he got with the Council, the further we grew apart." It wasn't a total lie. And she didn't _say_ she'd fallen out of love with him – only gave it enough of a hint to mislead the lady. No guilt. "I wasn't happy about it, but I still have my own life."

"Thank God," Vaako interjected. "It's so nice to have someone to visit with."

"What about the other ladies?"

"The other ladies are either too wrapped up in themselves or their husbands to want anything to do with anyone else," Vaako explained, her voice strained. _Yeah, and I bet that **really** pisses you off to not be the center of **everyone's** attention, huh?_ "It just gets so lonely with my husband on duty all the time, being first commander and all." Sevic watched over the rim of her glass as Vaako refilled hers with a stout alcohol. _Oh yeah, _she thought. _Just keep it going. _

"I thought you'd never pass out," Sevic groaned, sitting up as Dame Vaako slid over the arm of her chair snoring lightly. She stood, hoisting Vaako over her shoulder to dump her in the bedroom, sprawled across the bed. During her time spent cooped up in Riddick's suite, she'd looked over the Necro Codes. Vaako had a hell of a change coming to her when she woke up. Sevic didn't suppress the snicker as she left the suite, closing the door quietly behind her. Knowing Daniel had come in handy.

Riddick was already asleep when Sevic came back, slipping into the suite quietly. She knew he'd wake, and didn't bother with trying hard to be silent. His breathing changed, but he didn't move. After stopping in the closet, she slipped into bed next to him, feeling him stiffen as she threw an arm over his side, scooting closer to him. He took a breath as though he wanted to say something, but let it out in a slow, extended sigh instead. She smiled.

"You were going to ask me where I was, weren't you?" she asked quietly, kissing his shoulder blade.

"Don't I get brownie points for thinking about it first?" Her reply was a light bite on the back of his neck. "I don't get you."

"Hmm?"

"One minute you're pissed off at me, and then next you're all snuggly and shit. How am I supposed to figure you out?"

"You're not," she said quietly, tracing the contours of his stomach lightly. His hand caught hers.

"That tickles," he gruffed. She smiled, squeezing him before turning over and hunkering down under the sheets. "You're up to something, aren't you?" She smiled.

"You have a meeting tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah…" he said slowly.

"Dame Vaako will probably be at the top of the list of things to discuss." He waited for more, but it didn't come. He turned over as well, staring at her bare back. She shuddered as he ran a finger down her spine.

"Talk."

"Ask me nicely and maybe I will."

Dame Vaako screamed obscenities as she was dragged down the hall, the lights getting dimmer the deeper she was taken. The bruises on her wrists were dark, and the round mark on the side of her neck still red and swollen. A heavy wooden door slammed, followed by the scraping of a metal lock. Riddick watched Vaako for a moment, standing to his side with his fists clenched and face paled, before returning to his rooms, a smirk sliding across his lips.

Sevic paused, in the middle of making the bed when Riddick entered, watching him go into the bathroom, still hovering over the sheets until he emerged, the remnants of a grin still showing on his face.

"You're evil," he said, eyes shining devilishly.

"You know, it took a lot of control to be able to get that close to her and not choke on all that perfume," Sevic said, matching his wicked grin.

"The hickey was a nice touch."

"Yeah," she said with a modest shrug. "I figured the whole thing needed a little realism."

"Cameras?" She shook her head.

"Daniel arranged a little malfunction for me. Nothing on his comm unit memory, and nothing on tape. And now she'll know what she made my life into." Riddick nodded, seemingly impressed. "So what else came up at the meeting?" Riddick sighed.

"Destination."

"And that would be?" she asked timidly, creeping toward him slowly.

"I don't know yet. I told them I had to think about a few things before I made a decision." Her eyebrow rose. "Any suggestions?"

"I want to go back to Seleron," she said quietly.

"Sevic—"

"There's got to be something left, even if it's just a little. We can rebuild, start a new colony—"

"No." She blinked a few times, taking a step backward. "There's nothing left there, Sevic."

"You don't know that," she insisted, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I do," Riddick said gently. "There's nothing there for you to start over." She only stared at him. "There's not even enough oxygen left for you to survive there."

"You've seen it yourself, have you?"

"Yeah, actually." Her eyes met his as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Heard the rumors and did a fly by. Earth looked better after the global war, Sevic. There's nothing to salvage."

"Then I don't have any suggestions."

"You've never been anywhere else?" She shook her head no. "What do you want to do with the rest of your life, Sevic?" She shrugged. "What have you always wanted to do?"

"Nothing I can do now," she said defeatedly. His eyebrow rose.

"You wanted kids." A small nod. He sighed, sitting on the bed next to her. "Look. I know a guy on Telvar. He does regenerative surgery. I can drop you off there and figure out what to do with the rest of this shit."

"And you'll come back for me?" He glanced at her, but she was staring at her hands in her lap. His finger curled under her chin and tilted her face toward his.

"You asked me not to make promises," he started. She nodded. "But I'll come back for you." She smiled slightly until his lips brushed hers. He held her tightly, suddenly realizing what he'd just done. _Great, Dicky.__ Another promise to live up to. Better be up for the job. _He decided to think about it later.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Sevic walked forward slowly, glancing at Riddick over her shoulder. He'd asked her to go before him, so he could have more time, and she obliged. This was his day. She paused, leaning over to peer at the girl's face for a moment. Auburn curls framed her face, defiant even in death.

"I never knew you," Sevic whispered. "But Riddick loved you, and I know what it's like to lose someone you love." Her fingers gently caressed a cold cheek. "You changed him, Kyra. You brought out the good in him. He's a good man now, Kyra, and it's all because of you. I'll never forget you for that, and neither will he." Sevic allowed herself one more long glance at the girl before turning back, resting her hand on Riddick's shoulder with a sympathetic smile before continuing past him back to the ship. She watched from the platform as Riddick stood there for a moment before approaching the casket.

"I let you down, kid," he whispered, staring down into Kyra's face. "I left you when you needed me and didn't protect you when I should have." He sighed, staring up at the orange sky for a moment, getting his tears under control before returning his gaze to her. "You know I hate failing. I've got a second chance now, I guess." He glanced over his shoulder at Sevic, waiting at the ship. "I'll never forget you, kid. You're the only person I've ever loved." He sniffed, brushing his cheek with the back of his hand quickly, thankful he was relatively alone. "This one's for you, Kyra. I'll take care of her just to make it up to you." He leaned down, kissing her cheek. A tear fell from his eye onto her forehead, and he wiped it away before fingering a curl, finally bending over again to kiss her lips quickly before turning, nodding to the only person left. The man nodded back, and Riddick retired to the ship, walking past Sevic without a word. She followed slowly, watching as the platform receded behind her.

"Do you want anything?" Sevic asked, glancing at Riddick over her shoulder quickly before returning to the menu.

"No, thanks." She nodded, ordering dinner for herself before returning to the bed. He stood next to her, staring out a small window, and she reached out, taking his hand with a small squeeze before turning back to her book. He squeezed back gently, and she smiled, letting him keep her hand while she read, waiting for her food to arrive. They stayed that way for a while, until a knock at the door. Riddick jumped, and she untangled her fingers from his, smiling as she stood to answer.

"I need to speak with the Lord Marshall." Riddick turned, and Sevic glanced over at him, waiting for his nod before allowing Lord Vaako to enter. He looked pale, as though he were still upset over the discovery of Dame Vaako's apparent cheating on him, though it was actually Sevic's doing in Dame Vaako's drunkenness. "Sir, we're approaching the planet Telvar." Riddick nodded.

"How long?"

"Ten hours, sir," Vaako answered.

"Good. Let me know when we're two hours out," he directed. Vaako nodded, then nodded again to Sevic before leaving. The food courier was coming down the hall, so she met him halfway before closing the door to their suite. Riddick was climbing under the covers as she turned.

"Turning in?" she asked quietly, sitting at a corner table to eat. He nodded, turning on his side, his eyes still on her. She hated being watched while she ate, but she didn't say anything. After brushing her teeth and changing, she crawled in next to him and called off the lights. His arm went around her, pulling her back against him, and the room fell silent. "Are you okay?" she asked after a while. He grumbled something, but she didn't ask again.

"Think two hours will be long enough for you to get your things together?" he asked, his voice muffled by her hair. She nodded. "Don't forget that knife."

"Am I going to need it?"

"Never know," he answered. "But I don't want to catch you without it." She chuckled. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he added, kissing her shoulder. She nodded, swallowing down the lump in her throat.

Riddick picked up the satchel and opened the door, watching Sevic walk through before he followed. The hallway was longer than she remembered, and they had to have added several stairs since the last time she descended them. Her fingers clutched his hand tightly, her skin cold and clammy. Riddick nodded to Vaako, who was surprisingly not wearing the usual armor and looked quite different in plain clothes. Vaako fell in line behind them, following them into town. They approached a building after a while, and Riddick glanced at Vaako, who stopped, waiting outside the building. Riddick led her through the building, down hallways, up stairs, finally stopping outside a door. He turned to her, and she smiled nervously as he pressed the comm button.

"You're in good hands here," Riddick said quietly. She nodded, taking her bag from his shoulder.

"Yeah?" the comm squawked.

"Doc. Open up."

"Who is it?"

"Rick. Open the fucking door." Sevic couldn't stop the smirk.

"Yeah, yeah." They heard footsteps, and Riddick kissed her forehead as the locks scraped and squealed. A short, round, greasy looking man pulled open the door. "Ricky, come on in." Riddick gestured for Sevic to enter, and he followed. "Who's your lady friend?"

"This is Sevic," Riddick said, going through introductions. "Listen. I need a safe place for her to stay for a while."

"What're you into now?" Doc asked.

"Long story. I'll tell you about it when I get back," Riddick said with a grin. "She needs a regen." The man's eyebrow rose. "Can you take care of her for me for a while?"

"How long?"

"No idea," Riddick sighed. "But you're the only person I trust." Doc nodded.

"Yeah, we can go out to my little cave out on Quar Three and stay out of sight for a while. You remember where that is?" Riddick nodded.

"You got the same piece of shit ship you had before?" Riddick asked. Sevic's eyebrow rose as the man nodded proudly.

"Even made some modifications, if you know what I mean," Doc said slyly.

"They might come in handy," Riddick said. Doc narrowed his eyes. "Listen to me. If you even have the slightest feeling someone's following you, cut out and make a mess of them." Doc nodded slowly.

"What'd you do now?" Riddick shook his head. "Look, if there's gonna be someone chasin' me, I want to know who."

"Necros," Sevic said quietly. Doc whistled.

"Yeah, that cave's soundin' pretty damn good," he commented. Riddick nodded.

"Leave in three days and take the long route. I'll find you when it's safe," Riddick instructed. Doc nodded, and Riddick turned back to Sevic. "I have to go now. Vaako's waiting." She forced a smile. Doc cleared his throat.

"I, uh…" he stammered, glancing around the room. "I'm gonna go take a piss," he finally said, standing and leaving the room. Riddick chuckled, and a small smile formed on Sevic's lips.

"You're safe with him, I promise," Riddick said quietly. "Just get low and stay low and I'll be back as soon as everything's taken care of."

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I haven't figured that out yet." He watched her lower her satchel to the floor, and fidget with her fingers. "I promise I'll be back for you," he whispered, taking her hands into his. She nodded, still staring down at the floor. His arms wrapped around her tightly, his lips placing a kiss on her forehead as her hands pressed into his back. She mumbled something, but the words were muffled into his chest and he pulled away, watching her smile up at him. "What was that?"

"I said, 'be careful'," she repeated. He nodded, bending down to kiss her quickly before disappearing behind the door.

"You got nothing to worry about, darlin'." She jumped, turning to Doc, who had reappeared in the hallway. She managed a small smile. "If anyone can make it back, it's Riddick." She nodded, turning back to the door.

"I hope you're right."


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Riddick nodded to Vaako as he exited the building, and they started the walk back to the ship in silence. Once outside the main streets of the city, Vaako turned to Riddick.

"Should we leave a detail on the outskirts—"

"No," Riddick interrupted quickly. ""No one stays behind."

"For protection—"

"I said no," Riddick barked. Vaako sighed.

"With all due respect, sir, she knows things that could destroy us." Riddick stopped walking, Vaako stopping as well after he realized Riddick wasn't next to him any more.

"And what the fuck makes you think she'd want to talk about it in the first place?" Vaako blinked. "Her life was hell on that ship, and I brought her here so she could move on and forget it." Vaako took a breath, but Riddick continued: "She's not gonna squeal, no one's staying behind, and that's final. Got it?" Vaako nodded quickly, falling into step next to Riddick as they continued the rest of the way in silence. Before entering the ship, Riddick paused, twisting a hand in the front of Vaako's shirt and slamming him against the hull of the ship. "If I even so much as get a feeling someone's out looking for her or that someone stayed behind, I'll kill you." Vaako's eyebrows rose. "And that's a fucking promise," Riddick growled.

"I understand, sir," Vaako said, his voice much stronger than either man expected. Riddick held him there for a moment before slamming him against the metal again with a growl and boarding the ship, going straight to his suite.

Riddick paced the room, rubbing his forehead, scratching his neck, every nervous habit known to man. He sighed, once again pausing to stare at the comm unit. Finally, he plopped down in front of his computer and began memorizing the layout of the ship. After several hours of staring at a monitor and rubbing his eyes, he did a quick search and stood, stretching before leaving his room.

Frustration melted away with each punch and kick he landed on the punching bag, the room growing humid and hot the harder he worked, sweat rolling down his skin as his brows furled in concentration. He started a list of things he needed to do to prep for his escape, and how to go about it without drawing attention. Slowly, he started to realize this place was reminding him more and more of slam. With a growl, he landed a final punch, pulling a bolt from the ceiling to leave the bag dangling cockeyed. He snorted in amusement and left the room.

After grabbing a quick shower, he summoned for Daniel, the tech. Daniel was off duty, so Riddick had to wait until the morning. _Fuck._ He sighed. _What, the Lord Marshall doesn't have the authority to wake someone up?_ he thought with an aggravated snicker.

Riddick woke to a timid knock at his door. He growled and stood, pulling half the sheets off the bed with him. Daniel started as Riddick wrenched the door open, peering down at the young tech with a menacing scowl.

"Come on in," Riddick gruffed, nodding for the boy to enter while he scanned the hallway for tails. _None.__ Good._ He shut the door and returned to the bed, flopping under the sheets.

"Um, you called for me, sir?"

"I need your help," Riddick mumbled. Daniel's eyes widened. "I need you to draw up a map of the ventilation system and a schedule for the main kitchen and the port." Daniel nodded. "And when I mean schedule, I mean an average of second by second activity, understand?"

"Yes, sir," he said, still nodding quickly. "Anything else sir?"

"Yeah. Don't get caught," Riddick ordered. Daniel visibly swallowed. "I mean it, kid. I can't take you with me, so no one can know you're involved."

"How many days do you want me to average the times?"

"Four. And I want each day's detail and the averages." Daniel nodded.

"Is that it? Just the map and the schedules?" Riddick paused, thinking.

"Actually, yeah," he said after a moment. "Can you find out what kind of equipment is in the port, what's tricked out with what, and whether there are any security systems?"

"Can do, sir."

"Actually, thinking about it now, add in the security systems to the ventilation system map."

"From here to the port, sir?" Daniel asked.

"No. I want the whole ship," Riddick said, shaking his head slightly.

"That'll take some time, sir."

"That's fine. I want it accurate, so as long as it takes." Daniel nodded. "That's it. You keep me posted. And keep your eyes and ears open. I want to know everything that's going on." Another nod from Daniel and Riddick was alone.

Sevic stared out the front window, glancing every now and then back to Doc's hands flying over the controls as they neared Telvar's outer atmosphere. The ride got bumpy, just as Doc had warned, and they finally broke through into space, stars floating by quickly as Doc pushed the engines forward at top speed.

"So, um," Sevic started, glancing at Doc. "How long is the trip?"

"Well, if we've got the potential for tails, we don't want a track so we can't starjump. It'll be about three days, and then we've got a walk." Her eyebrow rose.

"How long is the walk?"

"A day or so," he answered.

"Not too bad," she said with a nod.

"So where'd you say you were from again?" Doc asked. _Great,_ Sevic thought. _Here we go with the small talk again. _

"Seleron." Doc nodded.

"That's how you got mixed up with the Necros," he deduced. She didn't want to talk about that, so she didn't, only nodded. "You know what Rick's up to?"

"I don't have a clue," she said slowly. "And that's what scares me." Doc nodded.

"He's a good kid, all things considered." She smiled. "He makes a promise, he's good for it. Hardly ever makes them, for that reason." She cringed, thinking back to Kyra. He'd said something once about having let her down, but she'd never pried out of him what his promise to her was.

"How do you know Riddick?" Sevic asked, eager to steer the conversation in another direction.

"Army of the Interplanetary Council," he said with a grim frown. Sevic's eyebrow rose. _Oh yeah. Used to be military. _"He was a young one serving under me for a few years. Turned out he had more potential than they thought, so they moved him to Black Ops." She glanced at him sharply. "Shit hit the fan, and they needed someone to blame, so they picked him."

"The shit hit the fan how?"

"Operation gone south is all I know. He was the only one that made it out, so they turned it to make it look like he'd done all the killing. Sent him away. He broke out, and had to kill to survive, you know." The way Doc was telling it made Riddick sound like the whole universe was out to get him. "Got to one of the planets not part of the Council, thinking he'd be safe for a while, but they tracked him down." He grimaced. "Put me on that detail, too. Cut me to the core, but he understood." Sevic nodded. "Broke out again, and then the mercs were called in. Been runnin' ever since." The ship fell silent, and Sevic found herself drifting. "Get some sleep," Doc said, smiling as Sevic started. "There's a bunk in the belly if you want some dark." She nodded, patting his shoulder as she stood and left for the lower story of the small ship.

It'd been five days and Riddick hadn't heard from Daniel yet. And damn it to hell, it was Sunday again. He ruffled through the closet for something clean to wear to dinner, wishing he could get out of it. The call came, and he headed downstairs, Vaako sitting at his left, and the chair to his right empty. He glanced at it now and then, envisioning Sevic sitting there in that dress, with that knife strapped to her thigh. _Train of thought, Dicky,_ he scolded. _Keep it together. _The conversation was boring, as usual, especially without the entertainment of the former Dame Vaako picking at everyone around her. Vaako glanced at the empty seat next to him from time to time as well, and Riddick caught his eye.

"Sucks, don't it?" he said gruffly. Vaako nodded, staring at the hunk of steak speared on his fork. "Anyone new caught your eye yet?" Vaako shook his head. "Don't worry. They're not all they're cracked up to be."

"It's disgraceful for me to be sitting here without…" Vaako trailed off with a sigh.

"What, a woman at your side?" Riddick snickered. "Women are evil, Vaako. Remember that. Better off lookin' out for number one." Vaako nodded, his jaw set. "But it doesn't mean you can't play." Vaako glanced up at Riddick, noting the sly grin before a piece of steak was shoveled in.

"You want to know something?" Vaako asked, his voice suddenly quiet. Riddick arched a brow. "I've thought about summoning her from the hallway. Just to see her again."

"You loved her, didn't you." More assumption than question. Vaako sighed.

"I don't know. You're right, she _was _evil and conniving and everything dishonorable." Riddick stifled a laugh. _Yup.__ That about sums it up._ "But she was beautiful, and…"

"And a good lay, right?" Riddick finished. Vaako smiled, turning it into a grin in response to Riddick's grin. "That's all they're good for, man." He dropped his fork and leaned back in his chair, scratching his pleasingly full belly. "But hey, if you get lonely after dinner and don't want to spend the rest of the night not dancing like everyone else, just ask, man," Riddick snickered. Vaako looked shocked for a moment until he realized Riddick was joking, and then smiled himself. "You need to loosen up." At that moment, the sirens decided to go off. "What the fuck?"

"Attack, sir," Vaako said, standing. "The armada's been engaged."

"Oh, Christ," Riddick groaned. _I do **not** need this right now. _"This ship?"

"No, sir. We're in the middle of the force." Riddick nodded, following Vaako to the command center.

"Lord Vaako, Lord Marshall," a Commander said, standing and nodding at them as they entered.

"Details, Lord Toll. What's happened?" Vaako asked, walking to the radar.

"Renegade forces, sir. They're attacking from behind. Two rear ships have been heavily damaged sir."

"Do we have fighters ready?" Riddick asked.

"Yes, sir. On standby," Toll answered.

"Get them out," Riddick ordered. Toll nodded, and he and Vaako went to work calling up the scramble. The vid screen crackled, and all heads turned toward it.

"Dispatch, sir."

"From?"

"Attackers, sir." Riddick nodded.

"Necros," came a voice, a face appearing seconds later.

"Can they see us or just hear us?" Riddick whispered to a nearby Commander.

"Both, sir." Riddick nodded, jaw clenched.

"Vaako," Riddick called, watching Vaako turn. "Do the talking."

"Sir."

"God, I hate Necros," the renegade continued. "I heard a nasty rumor you all decided to make yourselves at home on Kalais. Blew the place up. Just happened to be my home planet, fuckers."

"Can we negotiate?" Toll asked. Riddick nodded to Vaako.

"Previous missions have been aborted. Planet destruction has ceased," Vaako informed the renegade. _Could he get that stick any further up his ass?_ Riddick thought.

"What's your point?" the renegade asked with a smirk. Vaako looked to Riddick, who only raised his brows. Vaako swallowed and turned back to the monitor.

"We've abandoned our destructive stereotype. We don't wish to engage you."

"I blew up one of your ships, shithead." Riddick choked back a snicker. "You sure about that?"

"We'd like to negotiate," Vaako said firmly. The renegade seemed to mull that over for a moment.

"Fine. Light up your flagship and we'll join up with you. Bring your leader and three of your men on board."

"Done," Vaako said, sighing as the screen went blank. "Riddick—"

"I know him. It's fine. Kiril, Toll, and Yuri. You three come with me." Vaako's brows arched, but he didn't contradict. "Vaako, I need you here in case something goes wrong." Vaako nodded. "Don't expect it will, but just in case," Riddick added. After convincing the Commanders he really didn't need armor, Riddick, Kiril, Toll, and Yuri boarded the renegade ship, Riddick directing the other three not to speak or move unless he said to.

"Richard B. Riddick. You've got to be shittin' me."

"What's up, Andrew?" Riddick asked, holding out his hand. Andrew just looked at him.

"Wanna tell me what the hell's goin' on?" he demanded, glancing at the two obviously Necro soldiers standing behind Riddick. Riddick followed his gaze and shrugged.

"Stroke of shitty luck," he answered with a shrug. "How 'bout you bring your men –" he glanced around, "and woman onboard my ship and get something to eat. We were just in the middle of dinner when you stopped in." Andrew glanced at his crew, who stared back at him incredulously.

"And what makes you think I trust you?" Andrew asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Riddick chuckled.

"The fact that I saved your ass in slam and let you come along when I broke out," he drawled, still grinning. "C'mon, Drew. You know me."

"And I know Necros, too," Andrew retorted, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, well." Riddick shrugged. "They're under my command. You're safe as long as you stay on my good side." Andrew eyed him for a moment. "Be just like old times."

"What's on the menu?" Andrew asked.

"Wow." Andrew gazed around Riddick's suite with wide eyes. "So how'd you pull this off?"

"Revenge killing," Riddick said with a shrug. "Their creed is 'you keep what you kill'. Their previous Lord Marshall just happened to kill a friend of mine and it pissed me off." Andrew sighed.

"Tell me it wasn't Jack." Riddick cringed. He'd forgotten he'd sent Drew a vid-message when he needed some help after dropping Jack and Imam off in New Mecca. Riddick nodded once. "Shit, man. I'm sorry." Riddick shook his head.

"He got his."

"And you got yours, evidently," Drew said, gesturing to the room.

"Wasn't worth it, man," Riddick said quietly. "Listen," he continued, turning to Drew before he could say anything more. "I need a little help."

"Sure, man."

"I can't get out of here unless someone kills me to take my place." Drew's eyebrow rose. "Now, I've got one Commander I can trust a little. If he's not up for it, he's easy enough to silence, if you catch my drift." Drew nodded. "You got squibs and shit?" A lazy, wide grin spread across Drew's face, and soon Riddick mirrored it.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"That's the best I can do," Drew said slowly, dropping a duffel bag onto Riddick's floor. Riddick's eyebrow rose.

"What's the best you can do?" Drew sighed.

"Well, we had to fake a death a while ago." Riddick nodded slowly, eyeing Drew from across the room. "Had to use the last of the squibs to get out of there alive." Riddick sighed, dropping his head between his shoulders. "But." Drew grinned, watching Riddick's head rise slowly to look at him. "I've got some empty pouches. Figure that way if they want to run tests to make sure, they can." Riddick's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "We use your blood. Fill the empty squib pouches. Give you a mondo sedative – knock you out to look and appear dead without actually being dead."

"How's that work?" Arana, Drew's co-pilot, asked. He turned to her slowly, still grinning, as he was rather pleased with his idea.

"Well, it's kinda like cryo, only not really," he explained.

"Exactly the same only different, right?" Riddick asked with a snicker. Drew's smile fell as he mimicked Riddick's chiding.

"Shut up and listen. Cools the blood enough to pass, slows the heart rate, and masks brainwaves. They'll examine the squibs from the blood and it'll come back clean, since we'll collect it before you die without dying." Riddick nodded. "I'll make sure my guy Darren examines you," Drew continued, smiling brightly before demonstrating how upset he would act during the ordeal. "Riddick was such a good friend of ours for so long," he weeped, "and I couldn't live with myself if he didn't get the best post-mortem care we could offer. I want my crew to do the autopsy." Riddick chuckled, and Drew finished his acting. "So anyway, we'll mock up an autopsy suit, complete with dried blood and all, and send you on your way."

"And how am I supposed to pilot when I'm dead?" Riddick asked.

"You won't," Drew answered with a sly smile. "I'll say I'm taking you back to wherever it is you want to claim as your homeland for burial."

"And if they send someone to make sure it goes okay, which they probably will?" Riddick pressed. Drew's confident smile fell, and everyone in the room looked at each other in silence. Finally, Arana sighed.

"We'll set you up in a casket with an oxygen supply so you'll have enough air to survive until they leave. One of us will stay behind to dig you out," she suggested. Riddick nodded with a pensive expression as he mulled over the idea.

"That just might work," he said slowly. "Now the only problem is talking Vaako into playing along."

---

"You ready?" A small nod of the head. "Okay, it's gonna burn a little bit for a while but it'll go away." Sevic nodded again, closing her eyes as a long, thin needle invaded the back of her hand, then the burning started. Her brows furled, and Doc patted her shoulder. "Just let it work for a minute, and breathe." She nodded slowly, letting out a huge sigh. "Okay, now count backwards from ten for me."

"Ten… nine…. eight … … … seven… … um… … … six?… um…" Her eyes fluttered closed, and Doc gave her another couple of minutes before starting the procedure.

Sevic stirred, hearing someone calling her name from far away. Her brows furled, and she shook her head, mumbling something. She heard her name again, closer this time, and she strained to hear the voice.

"Riddick?" she whispered.

"No, honey, he's not back yet. You need to open your eyes for me, sweetie." She struggled, but they felt like they'd been glued shut. "Open," the voice commanded gently again. She finally got one open, and everything was blurry. A light shone in her eyes, and she winced, shutting it out quickly. "No, doll, open." Both eyes slammed open, staring up wildly. "Good girl. Just keep them open for me, okay?" The light was so bright it hurt, but she felt like someone was holding them open. Strange clicking sounds, and then her lids were released. "Okay. Get some sleep." She nodded, unconsciousness not far behind.

---

Riddick nodded as Vaako entered his quarters, glancing around at the crew who had so recently attacked the armada, a twinge of nervousness glinting in his eyes for a short moment. Vaako raised his eyebrow at Riddick, who just gestured for him to sit. He complied, glancing warily at the renegades staring back at him as Riddick sat in the chair across from him.

"I need you to listen to me, Vaako," Riddick said slowly, expression unreadable as he leaned forward in his chair. "And listen well." Vaako nodded only once. "I offered to give you leadership, and you convinced me otherwise." Vaako took a breath, but Riddick shook his head, a wry smirk playing on his lips. "I told you to listen, Vaako, not talk." Vaako's mouth closed, his breath visibly quickening. "Now, Drew here," Riddick continued, gesturing to Andrew, who acknowledged Vaako, "has a plan that can win you the title and make it look legitimate, if you catch my drift."

"You mean fake your own death," Vaako guessed. Riddick nodded. "Why?"

"Why?" Riddick repeated with a snort. "Can you believe this guy?" Drew shrugged, a wide grin sliding across his lips. "I know you don't think I'm the leader type, Vaako," Riddick commented mockingly. Vaako swallowed. "Look, I'm giving you a chance to take what you tried to take before, Vaako. We worked together, I guess, to bring down the previous Lord Marshall." Vaako's eyebrow rose. "You distracted, I capitalized." Vaako nodded slowly, glancing around as if digesting that bit of information. "I never wanted this, and I sure as hell don't plan on keeping it."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the one who got the closest last time," Riddick said simply, his tone daring Vaako to ask another question. Vaako only nodded again. "Here's how it's gonna go."

---

"Doc?" Doc looked up over the rim of his coffee mug and smiled, pushing a chair away from the small table with a foot as Sevic shuffled into the room.

"How you doin'?" She shrugged, lowering herself slowly into the chair and sitting back with a sigh.

"I feel like someone ran over me in a dump truck," she said with a small laugh, instantly crouching forward with a cringe. Doc smiled sympathetically.

"It's gotten a lot easier over the years," he said, returning to his newspaper and coffee. She nodded. She'd heard the horror stories about regen operations. "The first procedures they tried couldn't be used with anesthesia."

"I'm hungry," she interjected quickly. "Tell me later. Right now all I can think about is food." Doc chuckled and stood with a nod, rummaging through the refrigerator for a small plastic container. She watched as he heated it up and placed the container in front of her, steaming hot. _Damn. Had to be soup. _She bit back a cringe and plastered a thankful expression on before delving in. It tasted better than she expected, but it was still soup. Only slightly solid. "Do you think Riddick's really coming back?" she asked quietly. It'd been nearly a week now. She heard the hitch in Doc's breath and sighed. "I don't expect him to, you know."

"Why's that?" Doc didn't do a very good job of masking his discomfort at the sudden subject change.

"Well, for one thing, if he tries to fight or sneak his way out, they'll know. If they know, they'll kill him." Her eyes met his. "Slowly." Doc nodded, his jaw tightening. "If he tries to play them, I'm not sure there's anyone there he can really trust. So unless he gets lucky and just happens to run into some old friends, he's up shit creek there." Doc couldn't help but chuckle. "And then, he's got to worry about fooling everyone, and not just the people whose opinions count." Doc nodded. "Then, he's gotta figure out a way to get a transport back here, and short of stealing one of the jobs they've got stashed or sneaking out planetside and stealing something there, I don't know what he could possibly pull off."

"Sounds like you've been thinking about it for a while," Doc commented quietly. She nodded slowly, swirling her spoon in the remaining broth at the bottom of her plastic container.

"You said if anyone could do it, Riddick could," she said quietly. Doc nodded, and she lifted her eyes to his again. "I don't think even God could get out alive." Doc drew in a sharp breath and let it out in a sigh, returning to his coffee cup. "But I hope I'm wrong," she added with a small shrug.

---

It took Daniel a week to record the act and get it into the database without being seen or detected. He'd holed up in a corner of Riddick's main room after the plan was laid out and agreed upon. They'd considered a live performance, but thought better of it, as Riddick didn't exactly trust Vaako not to seriously wound him by missing the squib pouches. His body and the video would suffice. Drew and the rest of his ship crew had rehearsed over and over, and had the reactions down pat. Vaako and Riddick would be late to dinner tonight, and all would be well. Riddick watched from the corner as Daniel typed furiously at the com terminal, trying to upload the video into the database before his window of opportunity closed. He glanced at the clock, and Riddick took it as a bad sign.

"How we doin'?" Daniel jumped a mile and stammered a polite 'shut the fuck up' before returning to his mad typing. "If you can't make it, don't chance getting caught."

"I'm fine," Daniel snapped, the keys clicking feverishly even as he spoke. "Two more seconds and it's in." Riddick nodded. "Then five minutes hacking from another angle to change the upload time." Another nod.

"Channels clear?" Riddick asked, hoping Daniel had remembered to cover his tracks to avoid detection from mainframe security.

"Crystal," Daniel responded with a strained grin. He nodded and closed down quickly, sighing as he looked at the clock. Thirty more seconds in and they would have been toast. He rubbed his eyes and started back up, fingers moving at lightning speed as the upload stampings were changed and the trails covered. Finally, he slumped back in the chair and let out an enormous sneeze. Riddick chuckled.

"Bless you."

"Video's inaccessible until the system clock matches the upload stamping," he said wearily. Riddick nodded.

"Do me a favor." Daniel turned, eyebrow arched, bags under his eyes. "Find Arana." Confusion spread over the boy's face, and Riddick smiled. "She'll take you to their ship and you wait there."

"You can't do that, Riddick," Daniel said quickly. "When they notice I'm gone they'll know." Riddick blinked. "Vaako will be in a heap of shit and we'll both have the whole armada on our tails when they're finished with him." Daniel gulped. "I have to stay," he said with a reassuring nod. "But thanks."

Vaako sighed, glancing up at the clock again before returning to watching Riddick check the squibs under the fake skin Arana had matched so perfectly to his natural skin tone.

"Are you sure about this, Riddick?" Riddick paused, glancing away from his work only long enough to grant Vaako a short grunt before returning to his preparations. Vaako watched as Riddick sliced them open, his blood pouring out though he wasn't wounded. A heavy sigh, and then a needle. Riddick stared at it for a while and thought back to how Drew had directed him to do this. Reminded him too much of Johns. He shook his head and sat, watching Vaako watch him. He forced a grin.

"Show time," he rumbled, tilting his head back. Vaako's expression went unnoticed as the needle pressed into Riddick's tear duct, the sharp intake of breath the only indication he'd felt anything. A growl as the needle was withdrawn and Vaako reached forward, taking the syringe from Riddick's hand as the drug took effect.

"Show time," Vaako repeated. He glanced at the clock again. Two minutes. While Riddick slipped further into his semi-death, Vaako staged the room, splashing blood here and there before wounding himself to make the fight believable. Finally, the time came, and Vaako whispered an apology before grasping Riddick's wrist and pulling, gritting against the pain he'd caused himself, his own blood flowing now as he dragged the limp body toward the stairs. _Stairs, _Vaako thought with a start, glancing down at Riddick's seemingly lifeless form. He sighed, grunting as he hoisted Riddick over his shoulder and slowly descended the stairs, finally throwing open the doors to the dining hall.

Drew jumped as the doors flew open, an angry and paler than usual Vaako standing in the shadow, breath heaving, a large body thrown over his shoulder. He bit back a grin. Vaako's eyes met other Necros as he stalked forward, finally tossing the body off his shoulder and onto the table with a thud. Arana elbowed him in the ribs, and he let out a strangled gasp.

"Riddick?" he whispered. Vaako just stood there, as scripted, while a murmer went through the crowd of Necro royalty. Arana caught him around the waist as he lurched toward Riddick, restraining him.

"It's not worth it," she whispered, loudly enough for others to hear. "They'll kill you and where will that leave me?" Drew grasped the back of the chair he'd bolted from, knuckles whitening as his grip tightened, his head falling between his shoulders. The Necros stood, and knelt silently, the only people left standing being Vaako and Drew's renegades.

"Take your body," Vaako commanded through gritted teeth. "We have no use for it now." Arana made a show of swallowing thickly before nodding quickly. She nudged Drew, and they, along with two others, dragged Riddick from the table. "Leave my ship, and leave my armada," Vaako snapped, waiting until Riddick was on his way out the door before sitting where he would have been, had he not been "dead." The Necros stood, and, as predicted, took their seats as though nothing had happened. _Programmed,_ Vaako thought with a cringe, covering it by tentatively touching a seeping wound.

"You're injured, Lord Marshall," Toll said gently, pausing as Vaako held out a hand to halt him.

"I'm fine." Toll nodded, sitting again. _No minds of their own,_ Vaako thought. _And I've inherited it in a small way_. Another cringe. _Maybe this wasn't such a grand idea after all. _

Doc started, his attention torn from the television at the insistent pounding on his back door. He glanced at Sevic, who was still sleeping on the couch, obviously bored to death at his choice of movie, and he scrambled across the floor to her side, shaking her gently. She mumbled in her sleep and batted his hand away.

"Sevic. Up. Now. Trouble," Doc whispered firmly. Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up quickly. "Back door. Go to the safe room until I come get you." She nodded, and Doc watched her go before heading toward the pounding shaking his door again. He pulled it open slowly, just a crack at first, and then wider. "Drew?"

"Move, Doc," Drew demanded, pushing the door open with his free hand. "Eyes, man. Hurry." Doc nodded, moving out of the way as the crew came piling in.

"What's going on? What happened?" Doc asked, following them down the hallway toward his makeshift hospital room.

"Nothing," Arana said with a small smile. "He'll tell you when he wakes up."

"Wakes up?" Doc asked incredulously. "He's covered in blood. Is it his?" Drew nodded. "Well, shit. Let me have a look at him." Arana snapped out an arm, blocking Doc's patch toward the cot Drew was now lowering Riddick onto.

"It's his, but he's unscathed," she explained. Utter confusion made Doc shake his head. "Like I said, he'll explain when he wakes up."

"Here," Drew said, handing him a vial of green liquid. "Fluids, and in two hours give him this. He'll be groggy when he wakes, so watch yourself. We know Riddick when he's groggy." Arana snickered in response, and Doc stared, still holding the vial up in confusion as Drew and Arana led the men out of his house, closing the door silently behind them. An electronic beep signaled the lock was secure. He glanced down at Riddick, then back to the door before staring at the vial in his fingers.

Riddick stirred, moaning as his senses returned to him. For a moment, he panicked, unsure of where he was but very much aware his limbs were numb. Memories came as flashes, short and confused vignettes. He inhaled slowly. _Bleach. Stale air. Cigarettes. Must be at Doc's place. At least I know I'm safe for now._ His brow knitted. _Ah yes. The Necros and my great escape. _He tried to smile, but found it was harder than it should be. _Drew failed to mention the drugs worked so well. _

"Riddick?" The voice was definitely female, but sounded distant and confined. He groaned in frustration.

"Jack?" he whispered. _No, that can't be right. Kyra died on the Necro ship. That was days ago. _He struggled to open his eyes, the vision greeting him blurring and distorted. A flash of color made him start, but the gentle squeeze on his arm calmed him. The whole scene playing out seemed too familiar.

"Riddick, can you hear me?" He nodded slightly, struggling to focus. Warm hands cupped his cheeks, turning his head slowly. A face gradually came into focus, and a small smile lit his eyes. Sevic returned the smile, leaning down to kiss him lightly. "You need to rest," she whispered, resting her fingers gently over his eyes, sighing as his lashes fluttered closed.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Now," Riddick bellowed, holding the door open with a foot as he lowered his goggles over his eyes. Sevic came rushing down the hallway, a bag hung over each shoulder making her bounce off the walls as she hurried. She stopped at his side, scowling as he grinned down at her before taking one of her bags, slinging it over his shoulder. A jolt of pleasure ran through him at the sound his hand made against her ass as she walked by, and she tried a Riddick-style growl that only served to spur his laughter.

"How long do we have?" she asked, struggling to keep up with his easy pace.

"I'm getting you a backpack at the next stop," he quipped, glancing down at her struggling with the duffel bag she still carried. She stuck her tongue out, and he mirrored it, suddenly wondering why he was in such a jovial mood. "Transport leaves in a half hour."

"God, a whole half hour?" she feigned surprise. "Hell, we could have waited a whole 'nother fifteen minutes and made it. Are you crazy? We can't get there in time." He chuckled, shaking his head as they rounded the last corner to the port. With his death now on the books, thanks to the Necros, and a trusty little friend named Daniel who'd somehow convinced Lord Marshall Vaako to let him tag along with Drew and the posse, it'd been fairly easy to get official papers allowing this public flight. He might get a few looks, but any checking they'd do would tell them he was Rick James with a complete background he and Sevic had memorized, and the DNA and biometrics would back it up.

"Relax," was all he said, and she stopped walking, staring up at him with a sly smirk slowly emerging on her lips, her eyebrow quirked into a challenge. He flashed her his charming grin and nodded toward the ship now powering up, and they both rushed toward it, waving to get the groundsmen's attention to hold the ship.

A/N: Since beginning and ending this story, I've come to realize that I SUCK at COR fics, and promise I'll stick to PB fics from now on. Too many characters to juggle, and too flawless of a story to fiddle with for an OFC setup. You can thank my unforgiving mother for making me finish this story instead of mysteriously making it disappear from the archives. :)


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